Month: July 2018

Tigers smack their way to three wins

The New River Valley Tigers playing In Radford and then at Va. Tech took three of four baseball games. They defeated the Seminoles 7-3 in the opener as Grayson Co.’s Shawn Campbell pitched three strong innings for the win, late Friday afternoon.

The Tigers then early Saturday morning played perhaps their worse game in three years as they lost to the Richmond Braves 10-4. They surrendered seven unearned runs as they committed errors, threw wild pitches and just didn’t play smart baseball. After a strong talking to, they would come back to hammer Garciaparra Group 16-3, in a game played at Radford Municipal Field Saturday afternoon. In the beatdown of Garciaparra, Campbell and Jacob Stuart of Galax both hit home runs that cleared the 375 ft. sign in left center. Stuart has four RBIs, as did Campbell. They both scored three runs each. Fort Chiswell’s Leighton Dunford went three for three with an RBI. He also picked up the mound win.

The Tigers last game of the weekend saw them shutout TBC 6-0 a squad from Grottoes, Virginia area. Campbell pitched a great game as he went five innings, struck out eight and gave up just one hit. He at one point struck out five in a row before fatigue set in. He walked two batters both in the fifth. He was relieved by Stuart for the last couple innings. Campbell once again helped himself at the plate going two for three, scored a run and knocked in one. Stuart continued his great weekend as well going two for three scoring a run and driving in one.

For the weekend Campbell was eight for 11, seven runs scored and six RBIs. He also got two of the mound wins. Stuart played his last games for the NRV Tigers as he is off to UVA-Wise to further his education and play ball for the Cavs, was seven of 10, eight RBIs and scored two runs. Logan Altizer and Chris Meredith also played their final games for the Tigers as they are heading to play for UVA-Wise and Concord, respectfully. Altizer played at Cave Spring and Meredith for Grayson Co.

Fort Chiswell junior to be Leighton Dunford went five for 10 and got a mound win. Tiger head coach Todd Davis said, ” I’m pleased how we responded after the loss. We hit the ball really well .” He then added, ” Shawn Campbell had a heck of a weekend for us, hitting and pitching. Jacob Stuart also had a great four games. We surely going to miss, Jacob, Logan, and Chris. I wish them all the very best as they head to college. ”

The Tigers with their three wins improved to 9-2-2 on the summer circuit and will play this weekend in Salem at Kiwanis Field. Their schedule will be posted as soon as it is released.

Cougar commits

Pulaski Co. senior wide receiver E J Horton has committed to Kent St. University. Horton is getting ready for his second year at Pulaski Co. after going to George Wythe High School. Horton was one of the leading receivers for the 6-4 Cougars last season.

New coaches in Southwest Va.

With Josh Wingate being named the new head football coach at Fort Chiswell, it brings the total to nine, new head football coaches this season for schools in Southwest Virginia. Practice officially starts Thursday, July 26. Most schools will begin their journey for the high school football season.

Fort Chiswell, Carroll Co., Rural Retreat, Abingdon, Eastside, Hurley, Twin Springs, Rye Cove and Twin Valley are the schools with new head coaches. They all we get underway either Thursday, July 26 or Monday, July 30.

Pioneers have new football coach

Fort Chiswell…The Pioneers of Fort Chiswell looked from within their football coaching staff to pick a new coach.

The new coach is Josh Wingate. Wingate will be starting his seventh season at Fort Chiswell, but his first as the headman. He is from Grayson Co. and played football, basketball, and baseball at the Independence, Virginia high school. He played one year under now Grayson Co. head coach Brett McPherson.

He then was recruited and attended Emory & Henry College where he played both football and baseball. After graduating he went back to Grayson Co. and was an assistant for one season in basketball and baseball.

In 2012 Coach Wingate was hired to teach Physical Education at Fort Chiswell Middle School and became assistant football coach under then and now Pulaski Co. head football coach Stephen James. After James left he worked for Tom Hale and then now departed Todd Tiller.

Wingate has been an assistant for the middle school junior varsity head coach and assistant for Fort Chiswell. This will be his first year as head varsity coach. He has also been an assistant for the Pioneers basketball and baseball head coach Derrick Jackson.

When asked about being the named new headman, Coach Wingate remarked, “It’s been a whirlwind type thing. I will also be the offensive coordinator this season. I’ve been meeting with the rest of the coaching staff and David (Murdock- Doc) Meredith will be my defensive coordinator. Coach Whitlock, Coach Shrader, Coach Brown, Coach Dunford, Coach Hanks, Coach Lowe and Coach Poole will all be helping with varsity, junior varsity and the middle school teams.” Coach then said, ”The players have worked hard this off season and I’m honored to be named the new coach and we will hit the ground full speed ahead.” He added, ”I hate Coach Tiller left; he was great to me and I’m very thankful for this opportunity. I’m excited about the possibilities for this season. I’d like to thank Dyer Jackson and the administration of Fort Chiswell High school. We’re looking forward to the season.”

Fort Chiswell is scheduled to scrimmage J.I .Burton at Emory & Henry Friday, August 10.

Abingdon names new head football coach

The Abingdon Falcons have named Garrett Amburgey as their new head football coach. He was the offensive coordinator last year at Virginia High. He also was an assistant at Abingdon from 2013-2015. He replaced Doug Reed who was 34-12 in four years and went to playoffs all four years. He stepped down last Thursday to take an assistant coaching job at Gate City.

NRV Tigers Baseball Schedule for July 27-29

Friday – July 27 – 4:45 pm vs Va. Seminoles- Everett @ Rad. Univ.

Saturday – July 28- 9 am vs Richmond Braves-T Mayers @ Rad. Univ.

Saturday – July 28 – 1 pm vs Garciaparra Baseball Group @ Rad. Municipal Field

Sunday – July 29 – 3:15 pm vs TBC @ Va. Tech

Come out and watch some good travel baseball… Tigers have players from 9 different high schools. Its a showcase weekend and players will use aluminum bats.

Mother Nature slows NRV Tigers down

Rain, rain and more rain. That was the case for the NRV Tigers as they got to play just one of three scheduled games out in Sevierville, Tn. Friday evening the Tigers came from behind to tie Pro Concepts at seven all for their only decision for the weekend. Hard rain all Friday night into early Saturday made the fields unplayable for their other two games, that was scheduled for Saturday.

Down 7-3 after five innings NRV scored two runs in the top of the sixth and two more in the seventh to tie the contest at seven. The game was then called after the bottom of the seventh was completed due to the time limit. Grayson Co.’s Shawn Campbell pitched four innings as he allowed three runs on five hits. He walked one and struck out eight. He also helped himself at the plate going two for four. Both of his hits were doubles, as he knocked in two runs. Logan Altizer had a triple that scored two runs. Leighton Dunford and Nick Funk both had triples as well, for the Tigers and each scored a run.

Daniel Cook, Andrew Neighbors and Chris Meredith had one RBI each for the Tigers who are now 6-1-2 on the summer travel circuit. They will be playing Friday – Sunday, July 27-29 at either Radford University, Va. Tech or Pulaski Co. High School. Their exact schedule will be posted as soon as it is released.

NRV Tigers 7 R – 13 H – 1 E – 9 LOB

Pro Concepts 7 R – 7 H – 0 E – 7 LOB

 

Abingdon coaches leaves

The Abingdon Falcons are looking for a new head football coach. Doug Reed has stepped down as their head coach and has taken an assistant coaching job at Gate City. Reed’s leaving was as he said,” For personal reasons.” He becomes the second head coach to step down in the past three days, with practice scheduled to start Thursday, July 26. A search for a successor is already underway. Just a couple days earlier the Pioneers of Fort Chiswell head coach Todd Tiller resigned to take an assistant coaching job at Ridgeview.

Fort Chiswell football coach resigns

Max Meadows…The Fort Chiswell Pioneers are in need of a new head football coach just three weeks from their opening scrimmage game.

Coach Todd Tiller informed his team Tuesday morning in a terse meeting that he had accepted a job at Ridgeview High School in Clintwood, VA and would be stepping down at Fort Chiswell immediately.

Coach Tiller will be an assistant football coach, the boys head track coach and a physical education teacher at Ridgeview.

When asked why Ridgeview, Coach Tiller said, ”It’s a great opportunity for me and my family. My wife and I are from back there and we are going home.” Tiller played at Haysi High School and is from Bee, Virginia. He played for the legendary James Colley at Haysi and then went to Emory & Henry to play college football. After his college days he volunteered as an assistant at Haysi and then was hired at Castlewood High as offensive and defensive line coach. He then was offensive line coach at C D Hylton in Northern Virginia. He came back to Castlewood as their defensive coordinator and then left for Grundy for the same position there. He then came to Fort Chiswell as defensive coordinator for then head coach Tom Hale. He was named headman of the Pioneers in 2015 just a month or less before the season started.

That season the Pioneers had a terrible year going 0-10. Numerous injuries destroyed their season, and at Narrows High School they used five different players at quarterback due to injuries. It was definitely a season to forget. Tiller then went to work as the Pioneers hit the weight room and off-season conditioning program.

The last two years under Tiller, Fort Chiswell was 16-8 and made the playoffs both times. After that 0-10 year, the next year they made it to the West Regional semifinal game, losing to Galax. The old format would have been state quarters. They had defeated Galax in the regular season but lost to them in the playoff game. They played without star player Colby Rider, who is now playing at VMI. They went from zero wins to a nine-win year, finishing 9-4. Then last season they went 7-3 in the regular season and then lost in the playoffs to the Giles Spartans at Giles. The Pioneers went 16-18 under Tiller in his three years as head coach.

Coach Tiller remarked, “This was a very tough thing to say good-bye to these kids here at Fort Chiswell. I have said we are family and we are. This is a family decision for my wife, kids and myself now.” He then said, “I regret the timing of this. It’s not the best timing for anyone. This staff and these kids are great and I think they won’t miss a beat. This has been a great experience for me here. I told all the kids if they need anything I will help them. We enjoyed the last two years going to state quarters and winning a district title.”

Ridgeview has only been open since the start of the 2015 school year. They are a consolidated high school formed from Haysi, Clintwood and Ervinton high schools and are a Class 2 Division school.

A coaching search is already underway as first practice is July 30th. An interim basis coach for a year may be a possibility at this late of a date.