MONDAY: Wakefield Is In The Red Zone

New Patrick Henry head football coach Ken Wakefield will be our special guest on the next edition of "In The Red Zone", our live, local sports talk show heard each Monday at 6pm on 102.9 The Mater (102.9 FM/1430 AM), as well as here on our website and on the @TuneIn Radio App on "Radiall"!

Wakefield comes to the Patriots after six seasons leading the Culpeper County High School football team, advancing to the Class 3 state semifinals in 2018. He has been a past assistant at both Lee-Davis and Randolph-Macon.

CLICK HERE to listen online Monday, or better yet, come out Sports Page Grille, the exclusive home of "In The Red Zone" this Monday at 6pm for dinner and to meet Coach Wakefield!

WATCH LIVE: #1 Virginia Wesleyan at #24 Randolph-Macon Softball Doubleheader

CLICK HERE to watch the Old Dominion Athletic Conference showdown between the two-time defending national champion Marlins and the Yellow Jackets Wednesday afternoon beginning at 2:30. Our Rob Witham will be on the call of both games exclusively on RMCAthletics.com!

IN THE RED ZONE MONDAY: Atlee's Michael Rawlings

Join us live for a special edition of "In The Red Zone" at SportsPage Grille Ashland Monday at 6pm on 102.9 The Mater (102.9 FM/1430 AM) as we welcome Atlee girls basketball coach Michael Rawlings to discuss a very emotional season for the Raiders. We'll also have the latest local sports news on Randolph-Macon, the NCAA Tournament and more!

CLICK HERE to listen to "In The Red Zone" live at 6pm!

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Here's #TheLineUp for Monday:

COLLEGE BASEBALL:

Stevens Institute at #5 Randolph-Macon, 3:30pm

MEN'S TENNIS:

Centre at Randolph-Macon, canceled (rain)

WOMEN'S TENNIS:

Centre at Randolph-Macon, canceled (rain)

BASEBALL:

Patrick Henry at Caroline, 5pm
Deep Run at Hanover, 7pm

SOFTBALL:

Deep Run at Hanover, 6pm

BOYS LACROSSE:

Highland Springs at Hanover, 6:30pm
Massaponax at Patrick Henry, 7:30pm
Atlee at Mills Godwin, 7:30pm

GIRLS LACROSSE:

Massaponax at Patrick Henry, 6pm
Mills Godwin at Atlee, 7:30pm (Live Tweet Coverage: @hanoversports)

BOYS TENNIS:

Armstrong at Atlee, 4:30pm
Highland Springs at Hanover, postponed (Wednesday 3/20)
Henrico at Patrick Henry, postponed (Tuesday 3/19)

GIRLS TENNIS:

Patrick Henry at Henrico, postponed
Hanover at Highland Springs, postponed (Wednesday 3/20)

HONORS: Anthony Named Second Team All-American

Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player Of The Year, Randolph-Macon sophomore guard Buzz Anthony, was named Second Team All-American on Thursday by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).

Here is the official release regarding the team. Congratulations to Buzz!

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Randolph-Macon sophomore guard Buzz Anthony (Arnold, Md./Archbishop Spalding) was selected All-America Second Team as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) announced the 2019 NABC Coaches' Division III All-America teams.

Anthony is one of three sophomores to receive All-America honors and the only sophomore on Second Team. He was earlier named to the NABC All-South District First Team and D3hoops.com 2019 Men's All-South Region First Team. Anthony was one of 50 players on the second watch list for the Bevo Francis Award, presented annually to the player with the finest overall season with non-Division I basketball.

The ODAC Player of the Year and one of two Yellow Jackets to start all 31 games this season, Anthony led R-MC with 485 points and 15.6 points per contest. He also topped the team with 157 rebounds, an average of 5.1 per game. Anthony led the ODAC and was seventh in the nation with 120 total assists, an average of 5.8 per outing. Anthony was first in the conference and eighth in the country in assist/turnover ratio at 3.20.

During the 2018-19 season, Anthony led the team in scoring 13 times, was tops in rebounding 10 times, and led the Yellow Jackets in assists 25 times.

Anthony is the first All-American for R-MC men's basketball since Justin Short in 2009. Short was named All-America First Team by DIII News and All-America Third Team by the NABC.

R-MC posted a 27-4 mark during the 2018-19 campaign. The four losses were to teams that reached the Elite Eight, with two by one point, and two losses to teams in the Final Four. The Yellow Jackets were one win away from the program mark for victories in a season. R-MC went 15-1 in ODAC play, claiming its third straight regular-season conference crown. The Yellow Jackets hosted and won the first two rounds of the 2019 NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship before traveling to Amherst, Mass., and falling 58-57 to Swarthmore in the Round of 16.

The Yellow Jackets were second in the nation in scoring margin (+18.6), fourth in scoring defense (61.8 ppg), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.65), fifth in turnovers per game (9.9), seventh in total three-point field goals made (331) and ninth in win-loss percentage (.871).

2019 NABC COACHES' DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA FIRST TEAM

Ben Boots, UW Oshkosh, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Kimberly, Wis.

Booker Coplin, Augsburg, 6-3, Junior, Guard, Shakopee, Minn.

Jack Davidson, Wabash, 6-1, Sophomore, Guard, Fishers, Ind.

Kena Gilmour, Hamilton, 6-4, Junior, Guard, New Paltz, N.Y.

Edvinas Rupkus, Skidmore, 6-4, Senior, Guard, Naujoji Akmene, Lithuania

Sam Toney, New Jersey City, 6-4, Junior, Forward, Plainfield, N.J.

Dimitrius Underwood, UT Dallas, 6-2, Junior, Guard, Mesquite, Texas

Cam Wiley, Swarthmore, 6-0, Senior, Guard, Atlanta, Ga.

2019 NABC COACHES' DIVISION III ALL-AMERICA SECOND TEAM

Buzz Anthony, Randolph Macon, 5-11, Sophomore, Guard, Arnold, Md.

Marcus Carter, Christopher Newport, 6-2, Senior, Guard, Williamsburg, Va.

Aston Francis, Wheaton, 6-1, Senior, Guard, Tyler, Texas

Ryan Garver, Nebraska Wesleyan, 6-3, Senior, Forward, Lincoln, Neb.

Ty Nichols, Keene State, 6-3, Senior, Forward, Springfield, Mass.

Jonathan Patron, Plattsburgh State, 6-2, Senior, Forward, Huntington, N.Y.

Christian Taylor, Staten Island, 6-1, Junior, Guard, Staten Island, N.Y.

Austin Schreck, Capital, 6-3, Senior, Guard, Erlanger, Ky.

FOOTBALL: Wakefield To Lead Patrick Henry

Approved Tuesday night by the Hanover County School Board, Patrick Henry High School has announced Ken Wakefield as their new head varsity football coach. Wakefield replaces Keith Braxton, who spent the last two seasons at the helm in Ashland. The Patriots were 3-6 in 2018, missing the playoffs for the first time in three seasons.

The Patriots will formally introduce Wakefield, who spent the past six seasons as head coach at Culpeper County High School, leading them to the Class 3 State Semifinals in 2018, on Thursday at 4pm at the school.

Here is the official announcement from Patrick Henry Athletics, who also provide the photo:

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Patrick Henry High School is pleased to announce the hiring of Ken Wakefield as our new head football coach. We’re very excited to welcome Coach Wakefield to PHHS, and we know he is going to continue to take the program in a positive direction. He has a proven record of success, and we know he will be an excellent role model for our students, staff, and community. Please join us in the PHHS library on Thursday, March 14 at 4:00 p.m. to meet Coach Wakefield and welcome him to the PHamily.

Coach Wakefield has coached football for 22 seasons. Most recently, he spent the last six seasons as the Head Football Coach for Culpeper County High School. After a 0-10 record in the program prior to his arrival in 2013, Culpeper student-athletes consistently improved under Coach Wakefield’s ‘Embrace the Process’ motto. The program advanced to the playoffs in five of its six seasons, and the team became district champions during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Last year was the most successful season at Culpeper as the team advanced to the 3A state semi-final game but lost to Phoebus. Despite this loss, the program was recognized for its accomplishments. Two student-athletes were named the offensive and defensive players of the year for 3B region while 14 players were named all-region in various positions. Additionally, four of the 14 players were recognized as all-state in various positions while Coach Wakefield was named Coach of the Year for the Northwestern District and 3B Region.

Prior to joining Culpeper, he was a defensive backs coach for two seasons at Marietta High School located in Marietta, Georgia. In 2010, he was a cornerbacks position coach with Randolph-Macon College. In 2008-2009, Coach Wakefield was the defensive coordinator at Lee-Davis High School. In 2006-2007, he was a special teams coordinator and co-defensive coordinator for Caroline High School. During the 2007 football season, he helped the Cavaliers achieve its best record in school history, and they won the district championship.

Before coming to Virginia, a majority of Coach Wakefield’s experience stems from his nine years as the secondary/wide receiver coach with St. Francis High School, a private school near Buffalo, New York where he was born and raised. His experience at St. Francis included the team winning six league championships, holding the number one ranking in Western New York during the 2003 and 2004 seasons, and holding the 22nd ranking in the nation during 2004.

Coach Wakefield graduated from the State of New York University at Brockport with a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Health. He earned a Master’s degree in Sports Coaching from the United States Sports Academy. Currently, he is a Physical Education/Health teacher at Culpeper High School. He and his wife, Mary, live in Spotsylvania with their 10-year-old son, Cole.

GAME OF THE WEEK SOFTBALL: Midlothian at Patrick Henry

CLICK HERE to listen live as the Patriots open their 2019 season, now at home against Region 4B rival Midlothian, at a new start time of 6pm on the RVA Sports Network!

IN THE RED ZONE MONDAY

Randolph-Macon head men's basketball coach Josh Merkel will be live at SportsPage Grille Ashland with host Rob Witham on "In The Red Zone", heard exclusively on 102.9 The Mater (102.9 FM/1430 AM), and on the TuneIn Radio app on "Radiall", beginning at 6pm.

We'll also be joined by Hanover head tennis coach Lindsey Hein as the Hawk girls team begins their quest for a third consecutive state championship!

CLICK HERE to listen online!

Randolph-Macon Schedule Changes This Weekend

BASEBALL: The Saturday doubleheader at Guilford to open the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) season has been pushed back to Sunday, with the first game set for 12pm in Greensboro, North Carolina.

SOFTBALL: The Beach Blast Classic in Virginia Beach was canceled, so the Yellow Jackets scheduled the following home doubleheaders:

FRIDAY: vs. #12 Rowan, 12pm (in progress), 30 minutes after

SATURDAY: vs. Wilkes, 12pm, 30 minutes after

NCAA Second Round: Randolph-Macon Gets "In Zone"; Pulls Away From Spartans For Round Of 16 Berth

The York Spartans only led for two minutes, thirty-four seconds of Saturday's NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship Second Round game at Randolph-Macon. The most telling moments were, just, before the midway point of the second half, as a Mike Frauenheim three-pointer gave the Spartans a 49-47 lead, ending a 12-2 York run.

It was gut check time for Randolph-Macon, without senior forward and leader Jon Nowell, with senior Grayson Midulla just returning from injury. Calmly, the Yellow Jackets began finding each other. Midulla makes a putback to tie the game with 10:00 left. Korey Turner forces a steal, is fouled and makes a free throw to retake the lead.

Terry Woods (second picture below), inserted into the starting lineup for the NCAA Tournament, found the lane for a basket. Over a minute later, Buzz Anthony (first picture) nailed a triple.

You see the narrative developing. A total team effort, on both ends of the floor, was the difference, as Randolph-Macon went on a 16-0 run over a 5:50 stretch to pull away from York for a 78-60 win Saturday, sending the Yellow Jackets to their third Round of Sixteen in seven seasons, the first since 2015, and the first for both head coach Josh Merkel and his entire roster.

Tonight's seniors were high school seniors, commits to former head coach Nathan Davis, who, four years ago at this time was in the midst of leading the Yellow Jackets on a 25-game winning streak and a Round of Eight appearance. Days later, Davis left for Bucknell. Enter Josh Merkel. Three seasons of postseason frustration has been washed away in two nights of unselfish play in front of raucous home crowds. Again, a total team effort, including Nowell, coaching from the bench, still a leader.

"We've played with ten starters all year. That has never meant much to us," Merkel explained following the win, when asked about the contributions of Woods, who scored 13 points and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line down the stretch. "He's finished a bunch of games for us. He's played starter minutes. We've also coached all year not to make any game bigger than any other game."

It would be hard for anyone 18 to 22 years old not to realize the magnitude of playing when the calendar reads March. If the Yellow Jackets had any stars in their eyes, they hid them well both Friday and tonight.

It was obvious York (22-8) wanted to limit the Yellow Jackets' long-range shooting, as both Corey Bays and Luke Neeley each only made one three-pointer in a nip and tuck first half which saw the Spartans shoot 54 percent from the floor. That sent Buzz Anthony and his teammates to the paint. Anthony scored 13 of his game-high 21 points in the first half, twelve of them inside the arc. When he wasn't searching for the hoop, he was on the march for teammates, dishing eight assists, leading a Randolph-Macon assist to turnover ratio of 15-9.

Still the lead for the Yellow Jackets was only two at the half, 33-31. As was the case Friday, Randolph-Macon had a strong start to the second half, beginning on a 12-4 run in the first 2:48, capped by a Bays triple, assisted by Anthony. The Spartans regrouped, quieting the Yellow Jacket faithful with their run to take the lead midway through the half.

Merkel switched his defense to a 3-2 zone, and it completely confused York. Spartans on the floor were yelling out instructions, trying to answer the defensive change. It seemed to spark the stretch where York began to see shots which fell earlier in the game not go through the net.

"Wide open catch and shoot three? Player of the Year? I'll take that shot ten times out of ten," noted Spartan head coach Matt Hunter. "It's basketball. It's what makes this the greatest game on earth. Unfortunately, in that little sequence there, the bounces didn't go our way."

The exclamation points came from Bays, the junior sharpshooter who found his way to rim for a critical putback to put the lead at 60-49 with 5:50 to go, then nailed a triple with 4:46 left to force a Spartan timeout. The Yellow Jackets led by double digits the rest of the way.

"Basketball is a game of runs. We knew we were going to make a run, they were going to make a run," Bays remembered. "We had a more important run in the game, and we got stops."

The defensive switch was a huge factor, but just as important was the time it took for the run to develop. When York called timeout down 63-49 after the five-point Bays outburst, over half of the final ten minutes had evaporated without a point from the Spartans, making the comeback chore all the more difficult. Capital Athletic Conference Player of The Year Jason Bady, in his final York appearance, scored 16 points, while the Spartans were led by Joey Polczynski's 19.

Anthony, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of The Year, added nine rebounds to the stat sheet, plus a steal. After Woods' 13 points, Darryl Williams had 12, including a pair of big three-pointers down the stretch. Midulla contributed five rebounds plus three points, playing almost eighteen minutes after logging eight in his return Friday.

Next for the Yellow Jackets? A bit of rest, then back to the film room to get ready for Swarthmore, who blew out MIT 105-65 in their second round game. The game will be on Friday, location and time to be announced Sunday by the NCAA.

NOTES: Bays' plus-minus for the game was 23, while Williams' was 20. The Yellow Jackets, after being outrebounded Friday, grabbed 33 rebounds Saturday to York's 27. The Spartans were limited in second chance shooting, with just six offensive boards. The Yellow Jackets are joined in the Round of Sixteen by fellow ODAC member Guilford, who defeated Wittenberg 70-61.

The next sectional includes Amherst, ranked #7 in the nation, Swarthmore, ranked #6, and fifth-ranked Randolph-Macon. Numbers were as of the final regular season Top 25 poll by d3hoops.com. Amherst will face Nichols in the other region semifinal on Friday.

Stay with @hanoversports on Twitter and Facebook (Facebook.com/hanoversports) for updates on where Randolph-Macon will next play.

LIVE BLOG: NCAA Men's Division III Second Round: Randolph-Macon vs. York

FINAL: RANDOLPH-MACON 78, YORK (PA) 60----STORY TO COME


SECOND HALF:

Down to 2:21 left, York is fouling to get to the bonus. 68-52 Yellow Jackets.

Randolph-Macon goes on a 13-0 run in last 5:45, including five straight points from Corey Bays for 63-49 lead, 4:45 left. Video of Bays' first basket on @hanoversports on Twitter right now.

After making just their third trey of the game, the Spartans miss two straight, now 3-of-12 from downtown, Yellow Jackets can't convert, thanks to two turnovers. 47-44 Randolph-Macon, 11:49 remaining.

Randolph-Macon leads 47-41, 13:55 left, media timeout, 6-for-9 from the field in the second half now. Buzz Anthony picks up second foul going into the break. Yellow Jackets, outrebounded last night, lead in that department 19-17, only two offensive boards so far for the Spartans.

The Yellow Jackets go 5-for-5 in first five possessions of second half to up lead to 45-37, as Neeley and Bays both hit triples in the first three plus minutes of the second half. 16:37 to go.


AT THE HALF: RANDOLPH-MACON 33, YORK 31: A Buzz Anthony shot that went in at the buzzer was initially ruled good, then waved off. He leads the Yellow Jackets with 13 points, 3 assists and 5 rebounds. Randolph-Macon shoots 43 percent from the field, only 3 of 10 from beyond the arc. The Spartans are limiting opportunities from outside for Corey Bays (1-2, 3 points) and Luke Neeley (1-2, 3 points). The Bays three-pointer came off an inbounds pass with one second left on the shot clock to retake the lead at 29-28. Anthony played all 20 minutes in the first half. Jason Bady and Joey Polczynski each have ten points for the Spartans.

FIRST HALF: York now 3-5 at the line after going 1-2 after Midulla foul, 31-31 at 2:44 1H.

What Coach Merkel stressed could not happen did as York goes on 6-0 run, including back to back baskets within five seconds after steal on inbounds pass. Timeout Randolph-Macon, now in a 26-26 tie, 7:05 to the half.

Buzz Anthony takes the roof off Crenshaw with a juke move leaving a York defender in his wake. Yellow Jackets lead 21-15 at the under 12 timeout, 10:56 left. Anthony leads with 9 points on 3-4 shooting, plus three assists. Six different players have scored, including David Funderburg and Ian Robertson off the bench.

Torrid pace so far, everything running through Jason Bady offensively for York. Luke Neeley's three, the team's first of the night, makes it 10-9 Yellow Jackets at the under 16 timeout, 15:43 left.

First three points come at free throw line, two fouls on Darin Gordon of York. 3-2 Randolph-Macon, 18:20 1H.

Two conference players of the year in action tonight: Buzz Anthony (ODAC) and Jason Bady (CAC).


STARTERS: Buzz Anthony, Corey Bays, Luke Neeley, Terry Woods and Darryl Williams. Anthony and Williams are the only Yellow Jackets to be in the starting lineup for all 30 games so far this season.


PREGAME NOTES: Randolph-Macon enters tonight at 26-3, coming off a 95-70 win over Morrisville State (NY) last night where the Yellow Jackets made 11 of 27 three-point attempts. York, the runner-up in the CAC behind Christopher Newport, led dominantly from start to finish in their first round win over DeSales, making 14 of 27 from beyond the arc.

Grayson Midulla made his return to action after missing the ODAC Championship with an injury last week, playing eight minutes. We expect to see a bit more of him tonight. Jon Nowell is not available due to the injury suffered during last Sunday's ODAC final against Guilford.

Randolph-Macon is 11-0 at home this season and is 3-0 all-time against the Spartans, winning twice during the 1970-71 campaign, and in the championship of the R-MC Coaches Classic in December, 2016. Head Coach Josh Merkel earned his first NCAA Championship victory as head coach of the Yellow Jackets with Friday's win, and seeks his 74th win with Randolph-Macon tonight and his 140th victory overall as a head coach.

Tip time is 7pm!