Clayton High School senior Y’Zana Lee Randle was awarded the first Marlon Lee Scholarship during Senior Night at the Girls’ Varsity basketball game. The $1,500 scholarship was presented by the Smithfield-Selma High Class of 1992 in honor of her father, Marlon Lee, who died on May 25, 2025.
“It means a lot to me to be the first recipient of the Marlon Lee Scholarship. The fact that my dad’s good works were seen and valued by so many is a true reflection of his leadership,” Randle said.
Marlon Lee graduated from Smithfield-Selma High in 1992, where he played for the Spartans basketball team. He later earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Education with a minor in marketing from St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1999. In 2001, he returned to Johnston County as a math teacher at Clayton High.
Over nearly 25 years at Clayton High, Lee served as dean of students, student advocate, assistant athletic director and head coach for both the Lady Comets girls’ varsity volleyball and basketball teams. As head coach of the girls’ varsity basketball team, he achieved more than 270 wins and led the team to 13 state playoff appearances and four regular-season conference championships. His 2009–2010 team finished as runner-up in the NCHSAA East Region with a record of 28–3.
Lee was named Coach of the Year four times and selected as head coach for the 2023 NC/SC Carolinas Basketball Classic All-Star Game. He led teams to multiple winning seasons, including a 21–2 record and conference title in 2016. He reached his 300th career win as head coach in February 2025.
Beyond athletics, Lee was active in Smithfield’s community life. In 2013, he was elected to represent East Smithfield on Town Council. During his tenure he supported projects such as developing a community park and organizing events like Back to School drives, Easter celebrations, Christmas toy distributions, youth summer camps and Juneteenth celebrations at Smith Collins Park. He also contributed to revitalizing local centers and honoring local figures through dedications.
Randle has followed her father’s example both on and off the court. She played guard and small forward for the Lady Comets varsity basketball team—where her father coached until his death—and during the 2025-2026 season scored 39 three-point field goals according to MaxPreps statistics. This ranked her second in the Greater Neuse River Conference 7A; she made a total of 101 field goals this season with an average of 15.7 points per game.
She was recognized as a Greater Neuse River All-Conference player for the season and ended her high school basketball career by scoring her thousandth point during a playoff game against Cardinal Gibbons.
“My dad taught me to put God first, work hard, and do my best in whatever I attempt. He also taught me to treat people the way I would want to be treated,” Randle said.
In fall 2026 she will attend North Carolina Central University majoring in business administration.
Johnston County Schools serves over 37,000 students from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade across communities within Johnston County, North Carolina. The district promotes cultural diversity among its students and families—representing more than 45 languages—and operates with support from its community resources including state-of-the-art facilities (source). Its mission includes empowering students for success within a global society (source).
