ATLEE: Homecoming Dance Tickets UPDATE

From the school:

Homecoming Tickets
Homecoming Tickets will be sold ONE more time on Tuesday, October 14th from 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. in the commons. 
They will be sold on a first come, first serve basis! The student must have the signed dance permission form for themselves and their guest (if applicable); even if their guest is a non-Atlee student. These forms are available on their class blackboard site, Atlee's website, outside of room 903 and in the front office.

NEW NBC12/WHAN Radio Top 10 Poll!

1) Hermitage (5-0, was #2)
2) Highland Springs (5-0, was #3)
3T) Manchester (6-0, was #4)
      L.C. Bird (4-1, was #1)
5) Cosby (5-0, was #5)
6) Henrico (5-0, was #6)
7T): Armstrong (5-0, NEW)
       Thomas Dale (3-2, was #8)
9) Atlee (4-1, was #7)
10) Douglas Freeman (4-1, was #10)

Dropped Out: Varina (2-3)
Also Receiving Votes: Benedictine, Dinwiddie

HAWKS: Parking Tips for Friday's Game at Henrico High School

Major construction continues into its second year at Henrico High School this fall, so Hanover has sent out the following parking suggestions for those fans attending this Friday night's game.

If you are planning on attending this Friday’s varsity football game at Henrico High School, please look over the following parking suggestions:

• Spectators may park in the main school parking lot; however, spectators will have to travel through the campus following assorted fencing and barricades to get to the stadium.
• Spectators may park near the buses on the lower practice field (weather permitting and the field is dry enough.) To get to the additional parking at the lower fields, spectators should turn onto Huntington Avenue from Azalea Avenue and follow the baseball and softball fence line to the lower entrance gate for the access road leading to the field house and tennis courts.
• There will be a lighted direct access ramp to the stadium and ticket sales from the lower field.

VHSL Football Ratings (Thru Week 6)

Atlee holds steady, Hanover falls. Those are the headlines from the new VHSL Football Ratings that came out Monday.

5A SOUTH (divided into two 8-team "sub-regions": Conferences 9/10 and 11/12. Standings are for 11/12):

1) Highland Springs (28.800--tied for #1)
2) Hermitage (28.000--#3)
3) Manchester (27.333--#4)
4) L.C. Bird (27.200--tied for #1)
5) Henrico (26.400--#5)
6) Atlee (25.800--#6)
7) Douglas Freeman (24.200--#7)
8) Meadowbrook (21.600--#10)
--------
9) Matoaca (21.000--#11)
10T) Mills Godwin (20.600--#9)
        Prince George (20.600--#8)
12T) Lee-Davis (18.000--#12)
        Clover Hill (18.000--#13)

4A SOUTH (Top 16-team "all-in" tournament format)

1) Lake Taylor (29.600--#1)
2) Heritage (NN) (26.500--#5)
3) Monacan (24.667--#4)
4) Phoebus (24.500--#6)
5) King's Fork (24.200--#2)
6) I.C. Norcom (24.1667--#3)
7) Booker T. Washington (23.000--#8)
8) Nansemond River (22.400--#9)
9) Powhatan (22.200--#12)
10T) Hanover (22.000--#7)
        Dinwiddie (22.000--#10)
12) Tabb (21.400--tied for #13)
13) Churchland (21.200--#11)
14) Grafton (20.000--#16)
15) Denbigh (18.667--tied for #17)
16) Smithfield (18.600--tied for #13)
--------
17) Lakeland (18.200--#15)
18) J.R. Tucker (17.400--tied for #17)
19) Woodrow Wilson (16.333--out of Top 20)
20) Glen Allen (16.200--#18)
21) Midlothian (16.1667--#19)

5A NORTH (Top 16-team "all in" tournament format)

19) Patrick Henry (17.600)

FOOTBALL FRIDAY: Atlee survives at Hanover, Lone County Victor...

Another rough night for Hanover County. Even the one victor left with lumps and questions as we reach the halfway point of the season.

After leading 13-7 at intermission, Atlee vaulted into the lead with an opening kickoff return for a touchdown by J.J. Givens, followed by a touchdown pass to a wide open Brandon Crosby on the first play of the fourth quarter to extend the Raider lead to 27-7.

But four minutes later, thanks to several 15-yard Raider penalities, mostly of the personal foul nature, and a lucky bounce on an onside kick, Hanover was able to drive down the field and score on two Marcus Bazala touchdown runs, the latter from 27 yards. Bazala played quarterback for the injured Clayton Cheatham.

The Hawks got a last opportunity to tie or take the lead, advanced to the Atlee 39, but on fourth and nine, they only could gain five yards. Atlee brought in Malik White at quarterback to help run, literally, out the clock.

The Raiders, led by Rashard Harris (23-of-32, 200 yards, 2 TD), advance to 4-1, while Hanover falls to 3-2 and must go to unbeaten Henrico next Friday.

The Warriors were finally scored upon as Lee-Davis got a touchdown from Nathan Evans, but Henrico responded with 21 unanswered points for a 28-7 win in Mechanicsville. The Confederates fall to 1-4 and go to Glen Allen next Friday.

Also down to 1-4 are the Patrick Henry Patriots, falling hard, as expected, at Hermitage 38-0. The Panthers, now 5-0, the #2 ranked team in the NBC12/WHAN Radio Top 10 Poll, were again led by their backup quarterback Eli Odom, playing for the injured Rashad Robinson

Patrick Henry hosts J.R. Tucker for Homecoming next Friday.

VHSL Football Point Standings (Thru Week 5)

The first set of VHSL Football rating points were released today. Here are the standings regarding county teams through five of eleven weeks of regular season play...

5A SOUTH (divided into two 8-team "sub-regions": Conferences 9/10 and Conferences 11/12):

1T) L.C. Bird (28.500)
      Highland Springs (28.500)
3) Hermitage (27.500)
4) Manchester (26.800)
5) Henrico (25.500)
6) Atlee (24.000)
7) Douglas Freeman (23.000)
8) Prince George (21.500)
-----
9) Mills Godwin (19.500)
10) Meadowbrook (18.750)
11) Matoaca (18.500)
12) Lee-Davis (17.750)
13) Clover Hill (17.250)

4A SOUTH (Top 16-team "all in" tournament format):

1) Lake Taylor (28.000: L.C. Bird's opponent on Friday)
2) King's Fork (25.500)
3) I.C. Norcom (24.800)
4) Monacan (23.800)
5) Heritage (23.400)
6) Phoebus (23.200)
7) Hanover (22.750)
8) Booker T. Washington (21.750)
9) Nansemond River (21.500)
10) Dinwiddie (20.750)
11) Churchland (20.400)
12) Powhatan (20.250)
13T) Tabb (19.750)
       Smithfield (19.750)
15) Lakeland (18.500)
16) Grafton (17.750)
-----
17) Denbigh (16.800)
17) J.R. Tucker (16.000)
18) Glen Allen (15.250)
19) Midlothian (15.000)

5A NORTH (Top 16-team "all in" tournament format):

1) Falls Church (29.000)
2T) Massaponax (27.600)
      Tuscarora (27.600)
4) Stone Bridge (27.000)
5) Briar Woods (26.000)
6) Broad Run (25.000)
7) Wakefield (24.750)
8) Freedom (22.750)
9) Potomac (22.500)
10) North Stafford (22.400)
11) Brooke Point (20.400)
12) Potomac Falls (20.200)
13) J.E.B. Stuart (20.000)
14) Mountain View (19.800)
15) Robert E. Lee (Staunton) (19.600)
16) Albemarle (18.750)
-----
17) George Marshall (17.500)
18T) Patrick Henry (17.250)
        Halifax County (17.250)

MONDAY'S LINEUP!

Here's the schedule of games for Monday, September 29th:

FIELD HOCKEY:
Glen Allen at Atlee, 5pm
Hanover at Maggie Walker GS, 5:30pm
Mills Godwin at Lee-Davis, 6pm

BOYS VOLLEYBALL:
Cosby at Atlee, 7pm (LISTEN LIVE on HCS Media Network at link on right side of this page!)
Hanover at Patrick Henry, 6:45pm

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:
Patrick Henry at Hanover, 7pm

GOLF:
Atlee, Lee-Davis in Conference 11 Tournament at Belmont Golf Course, 8am
Hanover in Conference 20 Tournament at Mattaponi Springs Golf Course, 8am

FOOTBALL FRIDAY FINALS....

A rough, rough night for Hanover County on the gridiron.

We begin at Henrico where the Warriors pulled off one of the biggest regular season upsets in recent memory, 22-20 over #2 Atlee. The Warriors kept the Atlee offense off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, when the Raiders scored two, the last of which cut the score to 22-20 with 1:39 left. The Raider two-point try failed, and Henrico recovered the onside kick to set off the celebration on Azalea Avenue.

Atlee falls to 3-1, and it will be very interesting to see how they bounce back, having to go on the road again next Friday, this time to arch-rival Hanover on the Game of The Week on 102.9 FM WHAN and online on HCS Media Network.

Hanover fell for the first time in 2014, too, 20-0 at #4 Highland Springs. The eighth-ranked Hawks offense found themselves in Springer territory eight times, coming away with no points. One missed field goal, one blocked field goal, and a few crucial mistakes combined with solid defensive play by Highland Springs doomed the Hawks.

Patrick Henry fell to earth, losing at Mills Godwin 27-5. After an early field goal, the Patriots were shut out until a late fourth quarter safety after the outcome was no longer in doubt. Two Wesley Dugger touchdown runs sealed it for the Eagles (2-2), the Patriots now at 1-3.

1-3 is the record for Lee-Davis, who were steamrolled by Varina 48-14, giving up 27 points in the first quarter. The Blue Devils righted their ship after a pair of seven-point losses to Top 10 teams (Thomas Dale, Hermitage) to improve to 2-2.

NEXT WEEK:

Atlee (3-1) at Hanover (3-1), GAME OF THE WEEK on WHAN, 102.9 FM and online on HCS Media Network

Patrick Henry (1-3) at #3 Hermitage (3-0)

Henrico (4-0) at Lee-Davis (1-3)

Thursday Schedule...

GOLF:
Patrick Henry in Conference 16 Tournament, Lake of The Woods, Orange County, 12pm
Atlee vs. Lee-Davis vs. Highland Springs at Queenfield GC, 4pm

FIELD HOCKEY UPDATE:
Patrick Henry at Maggie Walker GS, now postponed until Tuesday October 14th

JV FOOTBALL:
Mills Godwin at Patrick Henry, 7pm (POSTPONED to Monday 9/29)
Henrico at Atlee, 7pm
Lee-Davis at Varina, 7pm
Highland Springs at Hanover, 7pm (POSTPONED; no make-up date given)

BOYS VOLLEYBALL:
Deep Run at Patrick Henry, 6:45pm
Atlee at Highland Springs, 7pm
Lee-Davis at Hanover, 7pm

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:
Patrick Henry at Deep Run, 6:45pm
Highland Springs at Atlee, 7pm

HCS Media Network LIVE Broadcast: Girls Volleyball: Hanover (7-4) at Lee-Davis (9-3), 7pm ET! Listen to the match by CLICKING HERE!

Wednesday Postponements...

The rain slowly moving in from the southeast is wreaking havoc on today's schedule. Here are the postponements that we have, with make-up dates in parentheses if announced:

FIELD HOCKEY:
Hanover at Atlee
Patrick Henry at Maggie Walker GS
Lee-Davis at Varina (Tuesday, October 14th)

MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL:
Brookland at Oak Knoll
Holman at Liberty

MIDDLE SCHOOL TENNIS:
Hungary Creek vs. Stonewall Jackson (at Lee-Davis)

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS SOCCER:
Liberty at Oak Knoll

NEW NBC12/WHAN Radio Top 10 Poll!

1) L.C. Bird (3-0, was #1)
2) Atlee (3-0, was #2)
3) Hermitage (3-0, was #3)
4) Highland Springs (3-0, was #4)
5) Manchester (4-0, was #5)
6) Cosby (4-0, was #7)
7) Thomas Dale (1-2, was #9)
8) Hanover (3-0, new to poll)
9) Dinwiddie (2-1, was #10)
10) Douglas Freeman (2-1, was #6)

(Dropping Out: Monacan, 3-1)

"The Line-Up": Tuesday's Action Schedule!

Here's the action lined up for what's shaping up to be a beautiful first full day of autumn!!

GOLF: Atlee vs. Matoaca, vs. Colonial Heights, 4pm at The Highlands (This is a huge 5A showdown for the Raiders, as the Warriors are sure to be among the top teams on the leaderboard come 5A South Region tournament time in a few weeks...)

BOYS VOLLEYBALL:
Varina at Atlee (6-3-1), 7pm
Hanover (2-2-2) at Glen Allen (8-4), 7pm
Highland Springs at Lee-Davis (4-7), 7pm
Patrick Henry (8-4) at Mills Godwin (3-5), 6:45pm

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:
Atlee (7-2) at Varina, 7pm
Lee-Davis (8-3) at Highland Springs, 7pm
Mills Godwin at Patrick Henry (5-2), 6:45pm

HCS MEDIA NETWORK MATCH OF THE NIGHT:

Girls Volleyball: Glen Allen (10-1) at Hanover (7-3), 7pm LIVE on HCS Media Network!  CLICK HERE or at the "Listen Live" widget at the top of the page to hear the match live worldwide tonight!

MONDAY FINALS....

GOLF:
Glen Allen 159, Hanover 175, Varina 222

FIELD HOCKEY:
Patrick Henry 4, J.R. Tucker 0 (goals by Fields, Flexon, Tinsley and Rossman, Patriots now 2-5)
Lee-Davis 6, Highland Springs 0 (Lauren Wolfgang w/2 goals, Confederates now 3-3)
Henrico 1, Atlee 0 (Raiders fall to 4-3)
Hanover 7, Varina 0 (Hawks improve to 6-1)

JV FOOTBALL:
Patrick Henry 20, Hanover 14

"The Line-Up": Monday's Action Schedule!

JV FOOTBALL:
Hanover at Patrick Henry, 6PM (makegood game from September 4th and 9th)

GOLF:
Hanover vs. Varina vs. Glen Allen, 4:30PM, Meadowbrook CC

FIELD HOCKEY:
J.R. Tucker at Patrick Henry, 5:30PM
Varina at Hanover, 6PM
Lee-Davis at Highland Springs, 6PM
CHANGE: Atlee at Henrico, 6PM (on original schedules, this game was at Atlee, times and locations of this game and October 15th game were reversed. We apologize for the error!)

FOOTBALL FRIDAY FINALS....

56TH TOMATO BOWL:  PATRICK HENRY 17, LEE-DAVIS 14: Not a surprise, this was yet another classic close game in the long history between the Confederates and Patriots. And for the third time in their last four visits to Lee-Davis, Patrick Henry walked away victorious.

After each team traded turnovers on their opening possession, Patrick Henry marched 94 yards on their first touchdown drive of the season, capped by a 3-yard touchdown run from Hunter Hart, the freshman quarterback starter, to give PH a 7-0 lead at 3:12 left first quarter.

The Confederates responded in the second quarter, as Nathan Evans scored the first of his two one-yard touchdown runs. After a false start penalty moved the extra point attempt back five yards, Stephen Hall's kick was partially blocked, and the Patriots remained ahead 7-6. Evans' second TD run gave Lee-Davis a 12-7 lead, and Chase Mummau's pass to Chris Bundy converted the two-point try to make it 14-7.

The Confederates had a chance to make it a two-possession game on multiple occasions. Stephen Hall missed a 26-yard field goal from the left hashmark. Lee-Davis got the opening kickoff to start the second half, and couldn't get points.

The Patriots hung around, hung around, then started seeing their offensive line get holes up front. Bender Vaught approached 100 yards rushing for the first time in 2014. Down deep in the red zone, Hart called his own number again and scored from less than a yard out to tie the game at 14-14, with 3:28 left in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was a back and forth battle, with PH almost making a fatal error. Lee-Davis got the ball when, on a punt, the officials ruled the ball touched a Patriot blocker before it hit Evans, giving the Confederates the ball at the Patrick Henry 45. But they couldn't get points again, an achilles heel that helped cost them the game.

The Patriots final drive made the red zone, but stalled at the ten. Enter Logan Bulthuis, who nailed a 27-yard field goal to take the 17-14 lead. Lee-Davis still had a shot.

They drove downfield quickly, using the no-huddle offense, trying to save timeouts. The best play was a third down when Mummau was flushed out of the pocket. Rolling right, looking as if he'd throw it away, he found Nick Winston, squatting near the 23. Winston caught it, turned left, beat two Patriots and made it to the 10-yard line. First and goal Confederates.

After a timeout to call the play, Mummau looked to connect on the back fade route in the far corner of the end zone. The only problem was the ball was thrown 3 yards too far to the right, more inside the end zone near the end line, and not at the pylon. Cade Harris saw it and made a leaping catch for the turnover.

When James Pinder gained 20 yards for a first down and the scoreboard showed a minute to play and just one Lee-Davis timeout, the celebration of the Ashland faithful began.

Hart's numbers were small, but his game management and positive attitude, as a freshman, in the midst of a Tomato Bowl, was impressive. Patrick Henry has had quarterback issues since Brandon Cash's final season in 2008, PH's last winning season. That may, may finally be over.

Vaught rushed for 87 yards, Pinder had 52.

For Lee-Davis, Evans rushed 20 times for 68 yards and the two scores. Mummau finished 12-of-22 for 146 yards and two interceptions.

Lee-Davis hosts Varina, now also 1-2 after losing to Hermitage, next Friday, while Patrick Henry, at 1-2, goes to 1-2 Mills Godwin.

#2 ATLEE 49, #6 DOUGLAS FREEMAN 7: For those who didn't believe Atlee deserved the #2 ranking in our poll, tonight should quell those thoughts. The Raiders defense was relentless, while Loumond Dandridge rushed for three touchdowns as Atlee ran away from Douglas Freeman by halftime, then methodically finished their work in the second half to move to 3-0. Atlee has outscored their opponents 168-27 as they head  to battle fellow unbeaten Henrico next Friday. Rasharrd Harris through two touchdown passes, and Ethan Ratke hit seven more extra points. He's 24-for-24 so far this season.

HANOVER 28, HOPEWELL 14: In a battle of sophomore quarterbacks, Clayton Cheatham stole the show, rushing for three Hawks touchdowns, one putting the game away with 1:21 left to give Hanover a 3-0 start. Ryan Mallory scored earlier on a 57-yard run. Cheatham ended with 139 yards rushing.

The Hawks will face fellow 3-0 Highland Springs, #4 in our Top 10 Poll, in our Game of The Week next Friday, 6:30pm, on 102.9 FM WHAN Radio and online HERE at HanoverCountySports.net from HCS Media Network!

FOOTBALL FRIDAY SCHEDULE!

(Rankings based on NBC12/WHAN Radio Top 10 Poll)....

#6 Douglas Freeman (2-0) at #2 Atlee (2-0), 7pm: The home opener for the Raiders after road wins over Deep Run and Patrick Henry by a combined 119-20. The defense, led by Chad Vanlandingham, J.J. Givens and Ricky DeBerry finally get a solid test against a Rebels squad looking for their third straight regular season win over the Raiders (49-48 in 2012, 24-14 in 2013). Douglas Freeman has wins over Midlothian and James River, the latter on a defensive goal line stand to end the contest.

Hopewell (2-0) at Hanover (2-0), 7pm: This game features two of the best young quarterbacks, not just in the Central Region, but in the Commonwealth. Cameren Hill already has 500 yards passing and seven touchdown throws in the Blue Devils' two victories, while Clayton Cheatham has four touchdowns on the ground and nearly 350 yards of total offense. The winner will look to crack into the Top 10 next week.

THE 56TH TOMATO BOWL: Patrick Henry (0-2) at Lee-Davis (1-1), 7pm: Two first-year head coaches collide, something that hasn't happened in this storied game in decades. The Lee-Davis defense turned heads last week, holding Mills Godwin to nine points in a 14-9 victory. Nathan Evans earned 121 yards on the ground while Chase Mummau passed for 204 yards and a score.  Patrick Henry is desperate to find something consistent on the offensive side of the ball. Their best chance is to win the war on the line of scrimmage and use the tandem of Bender Vaught and James Pinder as a "Thunder and Lightning" combo, utilizing their differing running styles to keep the defense on their heels.

LISTEN LIVE to the Tomato Bowl tonight at 6:30pm on WHAN, 102.9 FM, or online by CLICKING HERE!

VHSL 2015-2017 Realignment Approved: The Changes....

Time for a second "new era" in high school sports in Hanover County.

Atlee moves regions to join Patrick Henry and end their 24-year postseason association with Lee-Davis, while Hanover gets new neighbors in a newly-named region, all part of the 2015-2017 Realignment Plan approved Wednesday by the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Executive Committee. Realignment occurs every two years, including under the old "Group AAA/Central Region" format, based on student enrollment figures, so this process is nothing new.

But with all the changes due to the new Reclassification that took effect last year, they take on added meaning as the changes are bigger, a reflection of both fine tuning the new system and responding to a large number of complaints about it. Most complaints made by schools, and school systems, revolved around added travel costs, loss of instructional time for student-athletes, and loss of natural rivalries in the postseason.

Here are the big changes, which will take effect next August with the 2015-16 school year:

1) Atlee to 5A North: In June, the original proposal by the Alignment Committee, in an effort to balance out Conference sizes in the 5A Classification, sent Atlee, Mills Godwin, and Deep Run from Conference 11 to Conference 16. Godwin and Deep Run each appealed the move, as did Henrico County Public Schools in a critical letter from Superintendent Patrick Kinlaw. The appeal was approved, so only Atlee, who did not appeal, makes the move, joining Patrick Henry in Conference 16.

2) Conference 16, Geographically, Is Huge: Atlee not only joins Patrick Henry, but also meets Orange County, Albemarle, and Halifax County, who remain in the Conference. They'll also be joined by, of all schools, Patrick Henry-Roanoke, who moves down from 6A South to 5A South. So, Conference 16 will stretch from eastern Hanover to the east, South Boston to the south, Roanoke to the west, and Orange to the north. Conference tournament travel costs will continue to be large.

3) Lee-Davis "Annexed" Into Henrico: Certainly NOT officially, but as a matter of speaking, the Confederates will spend tons of time with schools in the county to their south and west, as the only non-Henrico school in Conference 11. Lee-Davis will not be able to meet a county opponent in a postseason until the State Semifinals beginning next season. No more Atlee/Lee-Davis showdowns in baseball, soccer, softball, come late May. In our view, that is a shame.

4) Hanover Gets New Neighbors: The Hawks remain in Conference 20, will see their region change names from "4A South:" to "4A East", but see three teams leave and two come in. Caroline moves to a brand new Conference 19, while Glen Allen and J.R. Tucker leave 4A for 5A, Conference 11 to join Lee-Davis. Coming into Conference 20 is Huguenot (up from 3A) and Powhatan, coming over from the imploding Conference 19. These are not appealing playoff rivals for the Hawks, as both Henrico teams disappear, leaving schools either south of the James or in the city with Hanover in Conference tournaments.

5) Patrick Henry Moves Districts: This is VERY good news. The old "districts" that were to go by the wayside with the old system in 2013 survived, as the VHSL allowed schools to continue to play district regular season schedules. Now there is more autonomy for schools to end district match ups involving teams with great disparity (such as Hermitage and Thomas Jefferson ending their football series after this year even though both will stay in the Colonial District through 2017).

There is also this: Patrick Henry is "traded" to the Capital District, leaving the Colonial, their home for well over three decades, while Glen Allen moves to the Colonial. So, in 2015-16, the Patriots will play home-and-home regular season series in most sports against county rivals, rather than play them just once, meaning, for example, a team like Hanover baseball would only travel to Ashland every other year. Now, PH is guaranteed county rivals come to Ashland every season, and vice versa, which should aid in gate receipts, even though this involves the lesser sports.

In football, this finally frees Patrick Henry to play other schools in September. Being chained to the Colonial District schedule, they've had to play Hanover, Atlee, and Lee-Davis in the Tomato Bowl for the past 12 seasons in the first three weeks of the season. Now playing a Capital District football schedule, they can play those teams later in the season and either choose to keep some Colonial rivalries or make new ones.

NEW CONFERENCES IN CENTRAL REGION EFFECTIVE AUGUST, 2015:

CONFERENCE 11 (5A South Region):
Deep Run
Douglas Freeman
Glen Allen (up from 4A South, Conference 20)
Henrico
Hermitage
J.R. Tucker (up from 4A South, Conference 20)
Lee-Davis
Mills Godwin

CONFERENCE 12 (5A South Region):
Highland Springs (shifting from Conference 11)
L.C. Bird
Matoaca
Meadowbrook
Prince George
Varina (down from 6A South, Conference 3)

CONFERENCE 16 (5A North Region):
Albemarle
Atlee (shifting from 5A South, Conference 11)
Halifax County
Orange County
Patrick Henry-Ashland
Patrick Henry-Roanoke

CONFERENCE 20 (4A East Region):
Dinwiddie
Hanover
Huguenot (up from 3A East, Conference 26)
Midlothian
Monacan
Powhatan (shifting from Conference 19)

CONFERENCE 26 (3A East Region):
Armstrong
George Wythe
Hopewell
John Marshall
Petersburg
Spotsylvania
Thomas Jefferson

FOOTBALL: NEW NBC12/WHAN Radio Top 10 Poll!

Rankings from last week are in parentheses, with current record and schedule for this week...

1) L.C. Bird (was #1, 2-0, host James River Friday, 7:30pm)

2) Atlee (was #2, 2-0, host #6 Douglas Freeman Friday, 7pm)

3) Hermitage (was #3, 2-0, travel to Varina Friday, 7pm)

4) Highland Springs (was #4, 3-0, idle this week, play Hanover 9/26)

5) Manchester (was #6, 3-0, travel to #8 Monacan Friday, 7:30pm)

6) Douglas Freeman (was #7, 2-0, travel to #2 Atlee Friday, 7pm)

7) Cosby (was #8, 3-0, host Huguenot Friday, 7:30pm)

8) Monacan (was #9, 3-0, host #5 Manchester Friday, 7:30pm)

9) Thomas Dale (back after one-week absence, 1-2, idle this week)

10) Dinwiddie (was #10, 2-1, idle this week)

Dropping Out: Varina (was #5)
Also Receiving Votes: Varina

MONDAY FINALS....

BOYS VOLLEYBALL:
Atlee 3, Patrick Henry 1 (21-25, 25-13, 25-20, 25-23; Atlee is 2-0...)

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:
Atlee 3, Patrick Henry 1 (25-12, 25-9, 23-25, 25-10; Atlee now 5-2, PH is 4-2)
Hanover 3, Midlothian 1 (25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 25-16; Hawks are 6-2)

FIELD HOCKEY:
Lee-Davis 1, Atlee 0 (first win for new L-D coach Meridee Gibson...)

GOLF:
Atlee 160, Lee-Davis 188, Varina 228 (at Meadowbrook CC)

FRIDAY FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD....

Rasharrd Harris threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter and Atlee dominated from the start as the #2 team in our NBC12/WHAN Radio Top 10 poll won their sixth straight over Patrick Henry, their longest winning streak over their county rivals in school history, 56-0. A.J. Zollar had two touchdowns while Loumond Dandridge added a score.

The Raiders get their home opener next Friday when they welcome recent rival #7 Douglas Freeman in what will be a battle of 2-0 teams.

Hanover hangs 45 on J.R. Tucker tonight, getting touchdown runs from Brooks Coombs and Clayton Cheatham plus an interception return for a score from Tabb Patrick as the Hawks moved to 2-0, 45-13 winners over the Tigers. The Hawks return home to face 2-0 Hopewell, 27-20 winners over Powhatan Friday.

Lee-Davis gets its first victory for new head coach Ryan Turnage in a defensive battle, 14-9 on the road at Mills Godwin. Chase Mummau passed for 204 yards and a touchdown while Nick Reisenweaver had three catches for 67 yards, while Nathan Evans gained 121 yards on the ground.

RECORDS:

Atlee 2-0
Hanover 2-0
Lee-Davis 1-1
Patrick Henry 0-2

NEXT WEEK:

#7 Douglas Freeman (2-0) at #2 Atlee (2-0)
Hopewell (2-0) at Hanover (2-0)
The 56th Tomato Bowl: Patrick Henry (0-2) at Lee-Davis (1-1), 6:30pm LIVE on WHAN (102.9 FM) and HCS Media Network here at HanoverCountySports.net!

LISTEN LIVE: Game of The Week: #2 Atlee (1-0) at Patrick Henry (0-1)

CLICK HERE to listen to tonight's game from WHAN Radio and HCS Media Network!

The game is also available in the Richmond area on 102.9 FM...

FOOTBALL TIME CHANGE.....

The JV Football game between Patrick Henry and Atlee scheduled for Thursday has been moved up to a 5:30pm kickoff in anticipation of a storm front coming into Central Virginia later Thursday evening.

The game will be held at Atlee High School.

ATLEE: Make-up Registration/Parking Pass Information.....

Make-up Registration
Make-up registration will be held in the main lobby Thursday and Friday (9/11 and 12) from 7AM to 8:20AM only. They will also be selling parking passes during this time to 11th & 12th grade students with completed parking forms. If you have purchased a parking pass online you must bring your receipt of payment, completed forms, and the parental/guardian signature must be notarized or a parent/guardian must accompany the student to complete the purchase.

After this date, parking passes and will only be sold on Tuesday mornings (a change from previous years) from 7:45 to 8:20AM.  If you purchased a parking pass online, decals may only be picked up during this time as well.

Parking decals will need to be displayed on vehicles by Monday 9/15.

NEW NBC12/WHAN Radio Football Top Ten!

Here is the new NBC12/WHAN Radio Top Ten:

1) L.C. Bird (1-0, was #1, hosts George Wythe Friday)

2) Atlee (1-0, was #2, at Patrick Henry Friday, LIVE 6:30pm on 102.9 FM and HERE online!)

3) Hermitage (1-0, was #3, hosts Colonial Forge Friday)

4) Highland Springs (2-0, was #4, at Meadowbrook Friday)

5) Varina (1-0, was #5, at Thomas Dale Friday)

6) Manchester (2-0, was #6, hosts Huguenot Friday)

7) Douglas Freeman (2-0, was #7, idle this week)

8) Cosby (2-0, was #9, hosts Midlothian Friday)

9) Monacan (2-0, NEW to poll, at James River Friday)

10) Dinwiddie (1-1, returns to poll, hosts Caroline Friday)

Dropping Out: Goochland

Also Receiving Votes: James River

MONDAY POSTPONEMENTS...

The rain forces changes to our event schedule on this first Monday of the 2014-15 school year. Here's what's not happening....

JV FOOTBALL:

Hanover at Patrick Henry (Postponed to Monday 9/22; Rescheduled from Thursday 9/4)

FIELD HOCKEY:

Atlee at Varina (Postponed to tomorrow, Tuesday 9/9)
Henrico at Lee-Davis (Postponed to tomorrow, Tuesday 9/9)
Hanover at J.R. Tucker (Postponed to Wednesday, 10/1)

GOLF:

Tri Meet featuring Hanover, Lee-Davis and Atlee, postponed, date to be announced


All scheduled volleyball matches are still on for tonight, including Lee-Davis/Douglas Freeman and Hanover/J.R. Tucker.  We will LIVE Tweet the Hanover/Tucker Conference 20 Girls match starting at around 7pm....

WEEK 1 FOOTBALL FINALS.....

It took nearly 30 minutes, but Hanover finally seized the opportunity in the season opener Friday night, breaking Patrick Henry down at the line of scrimmage en route to a 16-0 victory, the Hawks' ninth straight over the Patriots in a game heard live on WHAN Radio and HCS Media Network.

Sophomore quarterback Clayton Cheatham wore down the Patriots defense in the second half, rushing 26 times for 176 yards and two touchdowns. Cheatham had a third TD run called back due to a holding penalty late in the third quarter.

Cheatham scored on runs of two and five yards, separated by a 25-yard field goal by Marshall Flippen after the holding penalty helped end the Hawks drive at the end of the third quarter.

Hanover now goes to J.R. Tucker to face a rejuventated Tiger team that blasted Glen Allen 46-8 Friday to move to 1-1. The Hawks defense will have to answer the single wing formation and the feet, as well as arm, of Tigers quarterback Malik Van Brussel.

In other action, Atlee pulled away in the second quarter at Deep Run for another rout of the Wildcats on opening night, winning 63-20. Trammell Carey had two touchdowns, A.J. Zollar got his first varsity touchdown as the Raiders moved to 1-0. The Raiders go to Patrick Henry next Friday on the Game of The Week on WHAN Radio (102.9 FM).

Lee-Davis' first game for new head coach Ryan Turnage ended in disappointment as the Confederates fell short in their comeback attempt, falling at home 21-16 to go to 0-1. Lee-Davis must travel to Mills Godwin next week. The Eagles lost their opener Friday at Monacan, 42-25.

FOOTBALL: WEEK 1!

Tonight's County Schedule (all games at 7pm):

Patrick Henry (0-0) at Hanover (0-0) (CLICK HERE to listen LIVE on WHAN, 102.9 FM from HCS Media Network!)

Mountain View (0-1) at Lee-Davis (0-0)

Atlee (0-0) at Deep Run (0-1)

WEEK 1: NBC12/WHAN Radio Football Top 10!

Last week's ranking is in parentheses....

1) L.C. Bird (1)
2) Atlee (2)
3) Hermitage (3)
4) Highland Springs (4)
5) Varina (5)
6) Manchester (7)
7) Douglas Freeman (8)
8) Goochland (9)
9) Cosby (N/R)
10) Thomas Dale (10)

Dropping Out: Dinwiddie (6)
Others Receiving Votes: James River

THURSDAY FINALS....

FIELD HOCKEY:

Atlee 8, Patrick Henry 0 (Atlee now 2-0, PH 0-1, four goals for senior Jamari Blackwell...)

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL:

Patrick Henry 3, Highland Springs 0 (Patriots improve to 1-1 on the young season...)

JV FIELD HOCKEY:

Atlee 1, Patrick Henry 0....

Field Hockey Underway; Atlee Girls Volleyball Begins Defense Tonight....

Monday Field Hockey Finals:

Atlee 3, Mills Godwin 1
Midlothian 4, Hanover 2 (Penalty Strokes, 3-1 in PK's after finishing OT at 1-1)

Tonight, the Atlee Raiders begin defense of their Group 5A State Girls Volleyball Championship when they welcome in the Douglas Freeman Rebels. HCS Media Network will provide LIVE coverage of the match with an airtime of just after 6:30pm ET.

Listen by clicking on the Mixlr Player at the top of this page!

ALS Ice Bucket Challenge: Lee-Davis Football Edition!

We're so happy that all four Hanover County head coaches accepted our challenge to help fight, and end, ALS!  Wednesday night, Ryan Turnage led the charge at Lee-Davis!

Top National Recruit Transfers To Atlee...

Our friends at NBC12 report tonight that Ricky DeBerry, star linebacker for St. Christopher's the past two seasons, has transferred to Atlee and will suit up for the Raiders in 2014.

DeBerry currently holds scholarship offers to play college football from 48 Division I programs, including a dozen SEC schools, Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State and Nebraska of the Big Ten, plus North Carolina, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Virginia, and Virginia Tech of the ACC.

The arrival of DeBerry will help Atlee in the loss of their defensive leader from last year, Tye Burris, now at James Madison, though expect Chad Vanlandingham to continue to be a leader of that unit.

The Raiders open their 2014 season on September 5th against Deep Run.

See more on DeBerry's recruiting HERE.

PH Basketball Camps Begin!

Future girls and boys basketball stars invade the Patrick Henry gym Monday for three days of instruction, fun, and most importantly, basketball!

The Patrick Henry girls camp is Monday through Wednesday from 9am to 12pm for ages 6 to 14, led by head coach Phillip Cobb.  This is the fifth year for the girls basketball camp in Ashland.

Randy Anderson takes over the floor for the PH boys camp from 1pm to 4pm Monday through Wednesday, also for ages 6-14.

For last minute registration questions, call the school office at 365-8000.

UPDATE: Time Running Out To "Roll With Cole"

Saturday is almost here!  It's the first annual "Roll With Cole Sport-A-Thon", put on by Cole Sydnor, 2013 Atlee graduate who was paralyzed from the chest down in a diving accident on the James River three years ago this month.

Now a student at the University of Richmond, Cole is paying it forward!  Enjoy a variety of sporting events, from a 5K run in Kings Charter, to basketball, tennis, a swim-a-thon, corn hole and more, with ALL proceeds to benefit "Swim With Mike", a charity which has raised over $14 million since 1981 to provide scholarships for student-athletes who suffer spinal cord injuries.

To register for any of the events, or to learn how you can help Roll With Cole, CLICK HERE!

Tryouts For Hanover Lady Hornets!

All the details are right here....

"Roll With Cole" Sport-A-Thon Debuts This Saturday!!!

Three years after an entire community reached out to help Cole Sydnor survive a horrific diving accident, Cole is ready to pay it forward.

The first-ever "Roll With Cole Sport-A-Thon 2014" takes place Saturday at locations throughout Eastern Hanover, with all proceeds benefiting the "Swim With Mike" Foundation. Founded in 1981 at the University of Southern California, "Swim With Mike" helps student-athletes who have suffered spinal cord injuries, thus ending their playing careers, still have scholarship money to attend college to achieve their academic goals.

Events begin with a 5K at 7:30am at the Kings Charter clubhouse, with sand volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, a swim-a-thon, corn hole, and tennis tournaments taking place throughout the area!

To register to participate in ANY of the sporting events, for times of events, and more information about "Roll With Cole" and "Swim With Mike", please CLICK HERE!

We hope to see you Saturday!!

Season Over: Post 175 Falls In Legion District Finals....

The third time was not the charm.

An early-game avalanche of slowly hit balls finding the right place, untimely errors, and a couple of key power hits completely knocked Mechanicsville Post 175 off its game Wednesday night. 30 minutes after the first pitch, they were down 9-0.

Not a team accustomed to or built for comebacks, Post 175 fought but still fell well short, losing 13-5 in the American Legion District 11 Tournament Championship game. Mechanicsville finished 15-4, with three of those losses coming to Post 361.

Starter Joey Pride yielded two runs in the first, then 361 struck for seven big runs in the second off Pride and Cody Powers. The kill shot was a grand slam home run just to the fair side of the right field foul pole by Patrick Hall (Glen Allen). Due to balls bouncing the wrong way and key errors, the three runs scored along with Hall on the shot were unearned. Suddenly, Post 175 had a huge hole for the second straight night.

But with only an inning and a half in the books, there was plenty of time and opportunity for Mechanicsville. In the end, opportunity knocked several times, but was only answered once.

The bases were loaded in the fifth, when 361's lead had increased to 12-0. Josh Lam struck out, then Trevor Denton launched a long home run over the left field fence, cutting the lead to 12-4.

Lam would have, incredibly, two more chances to bat with the bases loaded. He struck out again, then hit a sacrifice fly to score Brady Didlake in the eighth for 175's final run. Mechanicsville stranded 13 runners.

Another powerful season for the team that included their third straight District 11 regular season crown, ended with an uncharacteristic thud. Post 175 is built to strike quickly offensively, then allow their pitching depth to finish the work. Post 361 never let them play that game the past two nights at L.C. Bird, and once the lead reached between eight and twelve runs, that's simply asking a lot of any team.

Both Tuesday and Wednesday night, Post 175 entered the ninth inning needing eight runs to force extra innings.

Many of the players now will begin to focus on their work at various colleges next season, like Haiden Lamb at VCU, Roy Coates returning to Marymount, and Andrew Sergent to walk-on at West Virginia. They'll remember plenty of success from this season, but, for awhile, will remember more the two nights in Chester that simply got away.

THE WRAP: Post 175 Forced To Final Tournament Game...

They could have wrapped up the American Legion District 11 title for the third straight year tonight. Instead, Mechanicsville Post 175, for the second straight year, must win it the hard way.

Falling behind 9-1, then falling short in a ninth inning rally, Post 175 fell to West End Post 361 9-6 tonight at L.C. Bird High School in Chester, forcing a "winner-take-all" championship game in the double elimination tournament.

175 starter Patrick Holler matched 361 starter Patrick Hall inning for inning until the fifth, when Hall slammed a Holler pitch over the right field fence for a solo home run to give 361 a 1-0 lead. It fell apart for 175 in the sixth when Holler started the frame with back-to-back walks after a flyout. Holler finished with 5.1 IP, allowing three runs on three hits, striking out six, while walking three total.

Kyle Battle greeted reliever Thomas Renfro with a double to left-center, scoring the two walked batters, Drew Barker and Will Black. Two singles, a fielders choice and an error later, five runs were across and it was 6-0.

Post 361 added important insurance runs with two in the eighth, one in the ninth, putting 175 in a 9-1 hole with three outs to go. But Mechanicsville mounted a rally, chasing Hall after eight innings and four batters. After walks to Josh Shepherd and pinch hitter Cody Powers, pinch hitter Josh Lam doubled to center to score both men. Anthony Zona singled to left. Closer Kyle Saltzberg was greeted by Evan Swecker with a three-run homer to left center field to cut the lead to 9-6.

Haiden Lamb doubled to left with two out, but Jakob Pridemore popped out to first to end the rally and the game.

Post 175 is now 15-3, and has the benefit of a deep pitching pool for the title match. They can opt to start Powers, Joey Pride, or Taylor Crowe, who started 175's 6-2 win over 361 Friday in an earlier tournament round.

Head Coach Bobby White says it is up to the players as to whether they want to take the title and advance to next week's American Legion State Tournament.

"I told them to go home, look in the mirror tonight, and decide whether or not they want this season to continue," White said. "I said it's not often you get to play for a championship."

Game time is 7pm at L.C. Bird High School in Chester.

FOLLOW-UP: VHSL Alignment Changes, Conversation With Committee Member

On June 30th, HCS Media Network reported here on the June 24th meeting of the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Alignment Committee, which met in Charlottesville to discuss changes to the new six-classification system due to normal student population changes at schools throughout Virginia.

The meeting also served as an opportunity for all twelve regions to report to the committee on concerns voiced by individual schools, and in the case of one region, a collective of schools, about the new system implemented in the 2013-14 school year.

Our original report focused on several issues, including the proposed changes that came out of the meeting, how they would affect several schools in our coverage area, and why the existence of "districts" continues with the proposal of districts for the 2015-16 and 2016-17 school years with one area change.

HCS Media spoke with Atlee Activities Director Dave Kannewurf this week via email. Mr. Kannewurf serves on the VHSL Alignment Committee, and spoke candidly about the meeting, its purpose, rationale behind portions of the proposal, and confirming the continued existence of districts and why that is the case.

Of note, Mr. Kannewurf did not attend the June 24th meeting (he represents the 5A South Region) due to being on vacation, but Atlee principal Jennifer Cohodas was there on his behalf. Kannewurf was in constant communication with Cohodas during the actual meeting.

A QUESTION OF BALANCE: While exploring the changes in school enrollments, the committee was also charged, in trying to settle the new classification system into existence in preparation for its second two-year cycle, to reach a goal given to them by the VHSL.

"The Alignment Committee was given the tasks of balancing out the Regions and Conferences," Kannewurf said. "The parameters given were that Conferences should have between five and eight members, and Regions should have 24 to 28 members."

In the Richmond area alone, Conference 11 had eight members, Conference 12 had six, while Conference 16 had only four. Thus, where Patrick Henry only had to win one game in their conference tournaments to clinch a 5A North Region playoff berth, Atlee and Lee-Davis, in Conference 11, had to win two games.

"The difference between 5A North and 5A South was such that a few schools from 5A South needed to move to 5A North," Kannewurf noted. The proposal would place 28 schools in 5A South, 24 in 5A North.

The biggest change involves area schools, as Atlee, Mills Godwin and Deep Run would move from 5A South, Conference 11 to 5A North, Conference 16.

"Mills Godwin, Deep Run, and Atlee were the most western and northern schools which made sense when looking at locations," Kannewurf explained. "They are also the closest schools to the current members of Conference 16, which consists of Albemarle, Orange, and Patrick Henry."

Halifax County, also a current member of Conference 16, has been moved in the proposal to 5A South, Conference 12 to be the only non-Richmond/Petersburg area member of a seven-team conference.

Kannewurf also noted Conference 11 had to shed members, because, after a request by Patrick Henry to move to Conference 11 to join its county brethren created a scenario where the conference would have nine members, outside of the given parameters.

PLAYOFFS ONLY: On paper, this would give the impression that Eastern Hanover rivals Atlee and Lee-Davis will be separated, and this is true when it comes to the playoffs. Currently, Patrick Henry could not face either Atlee or Lee-Davis in the postseason until the State Semifinals due to the Patriots being in 5A North, the Raiders and Confederates in 5A South.

But now is a good time to discuss a major point of the meeting, and the foreseeable future when it comes to how rivals, not just in Hanover, but across the state, are scheduled.

"It is important to remember that this is for playoffs only," Kannewurf stated. "With district scheduling, Atlee will continue to play Lee-Davis twice a year in most sporting events. The effect of this change will not change anything as far as competition goes between them. A perfect example of how competition will look is to look at the competition between Atlee and Hanover both prior to the new system and after. As you could see from last year, Atlee and Hanover continued to play each other twice in most or all sports."

THE DISTRICTS LIVE ON: The reason why an Atlee/Lee-Davis rivalry can continue is the VHSL continues to use the old "District System" from the former "Three-Group" classification system used from 1970-2013 to determine regular season schedules. Many people believed that the VHSL approved continued use of old district schedules in the first two-year cycle of the new classification system to help bridge schools from the "old" to the "new". That was never the plan.

"Currently, there is no plan to move away from district scheduling," Kannewurf said. "Each district is reponsible for making that decision. Any change would have to be voted on by the principals of that district. When the new alignment was designed by the VHSL (in 2012), it was done for postseason purposes only and with the belief that regular season competition would still be district driven. What this system has done is that it has opened up the door to play your non-district games against conference schools."

The one proposal coming from the make-up of districts for 2015-16 and 2016-17 would swap Patrick Henry and Glen Allen, the Patriots going to the Capital District, where they haven't resided since the 1970's, to join their county rivals, and the Jaguars moving to the Colonial District, where they would be in the same district as county geographic neighbors Hermitage, J.R. Tucker, and Deep Run among others.

For Patrick Henry, this would finally give them the ability to change their football schedule. Since the opening of Hanover High School in 2003, the Patriots have used their three non-district slots in their September schedule to play Hanover, Atlee and Lee-Davis in the Tomato Bowl. The rest of the schedule was for Colonial District teams. With PH in the Capital, not only can they schedule new non-district opponents, they can also play county teams later in the season, not forced to face them all back-to-back-to-back in early to mid-September.

NOT FOR ANOTHER YEAR: It is important be to reminded here that, once the proposed changes are approved, they will not take effect until the 2015-16 school year. The new year almost upon us will operate just like last year did. Schools are currently filing appeals to the proposal with the VHSL Alignment Committee. They will be heard at a meeting on August 11th. Once approved in either its current or an amended form, the Alignment Committee will present the proposal to the VHSL Executive Committee for possible approval on September 17th.

THE CHANGES: Here are the new proposed Conferences by Region affecting all Metro Richmond area schools. Teams that have moved will be in bold with former home in parentheses. Any moves from one classification to another (example: 3A to 4A) is due to rise in student population. There are a few that move down, not always due to falling student population, but more because enough schools with rising populations moving up have pushed some schools down one classification.

6A SOUTH:

Conference 3: (was 6 teams, now 7 teams)
Clover Hill (was 5A South, Conference 12)
Cosby
Thomas Dale
Franklin County
Patrick Henry-Roanoke
James River
Manchester (was 5A South, Conference 12)

5A SOUTH:

Conference 11: (was 8 teams, would be 6 teams)
Douglas Freeman
Glen Allen (was 4A South, Conference 20)
Henrico
Hermitage
Lee-Davis
J.R. Tucker (was 4A South, Conference 20)

Conference 12: (was 6 teams, would be 7 teams)
L.C. Bird
Halifax (was 5A North, Conference 16)
Highland Springs (was 5A South, Conference 11)
Matoaca
Meadowbrook
Prince George
Varina (was 6A South, Conference 3)

5A NORTH:

Conference 16: (was 4 teams, would be 6 teams)
Albemarle
Atlee (was 5A South, Conference 11)
Deep Run (was 5A South, Conference 11)
Mills Godwin (was 5A South, Conference 11)
Patrick Henry (Ashland)
Orange County

4A SOUTH:

Conference 19: (completely new members, six total)
Caroline (was Conference 20)
Chancellor
Charlottesville
Courtland
King George
Louisa

Conference 20: (was 7 teams, would be 6 teams)
Dinwiddie
Hanover
Huguenot (was 3A East, Conference 26)
Midlothian
Monacan
Powhatan (moving from Conference 19)

3A EAST:

(Conference 25, home to Colonial Heights and New Kent, would shrink from eight to five members, with departure of Lafayette, Poquoson, and York)

Conference 26: (remains 7 teams)
Armstrong
Hopewell
Thomas Jefferson
James Monroe (moving from Conference 27)
Spotsylvania (moving from Conference 27)
Petersburg
George Wythe

2A EAST:

Conference 33: John Marshall moves down one classification, joins Maggie Walker Governor's School, King William, Washington & Lee, Arcadia, Bruton & Nandua. Windsor leaves, moving to 1A East.

Conference 34, containing Goochland, Amelia County, remains the same.

1A EAST:

Conference 42, containing Chesterfield Community, West Point, and Charles City remains the same.

OF NOTE: 4A teams will be interested to know that Tidewater schools Phoebus, I.C. Norcom, Booker T. Washington, Tabb, and Lakeland all move down to 3A East. Phoebus is a long time football power, while Glen Allen boys basketball defeated Booker T. Washington in February to clinch a 4A State Tournament berth.

American Legion District 11 Baseball Tournament Schedule

The battle for the District 11 Title and a berth in the Virginia State American Legion Tournament begins on Thursday night in a double-elimination format.

Thursday July 17th:

GAME 1: #8 Ashland Post 206 at #1 Mechanicsville Post 175, 7pm, Hanover High School
GAME 2: #7 Colonial Heights Post 284B at #2 Colonial Heights Post 284P, 7pm, Shepherd Stadium
GAME 3: #6 South Richmond Post 137 at #3 West End Post 361, 7pm, Hermitage High School
GAME 4: #5 Powhatan Post 201 at #4 Lakeside Post 125, 7pm, Douglas Freeman High School

Friday July 18th (games at higher seed at 7pm):

GAME 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2
GAME 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4
GAME 7: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2
GAME 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4

Saturday July 19th (games at higher seed at 7pm):

GAME 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6
GAME 10: Loser of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7
GAME 11: Loser of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 8

Sunday July 20th (3pm at L.C. Bird High School):

GAME 12: Winner of Game 10 vs. Winner of Game 11

Monday July 21st (7pm at L.C. Bird High School):

GAME 13: Winner of Game 12 vs. Loser of Game 9

Tuesday July 22nd (7pm at L.C. Bird High School: Championship Round)

GAME 14: Winner of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 9

Wednesday July 23rd (7pm at L.C. Bird High School: Championship Round Final If Necessary)

GAME 15: Only if Winner of Game 9 loses Game 14 on Tuesday 7/22

NOTE: The District 11 Tournament Champion begins play in the State Tournament on Monday, July 28th in Purcellville, Virginia.

Lee-Davis Hires Turnage as Football Coach

Ryan Turnage has been named the new head football coach at Lee-Davis High School. The move was made at Tuesday night's Hanover County School Board meeting and confirmed to HCS Media Network via our partners at the Hanover Herald-Progress.

Turnage last served as a head coach at Jamestown High School in Williamsburg from 2007 to 2011, compiling a record of 26-25 and guiding the Eagles to their first-ever playoff appearance in his final season. Jamestown also made the 2013 playoffs in the new 4A classification, losing to eventual state champion Dinwiddie.

Turnage has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Woodside High School in Newport News.

The new coach has Hanover ties, as he spent two seasons on Pedro Arruza's staff at Randolph-Macon during the 2005 and 2006 seasons. Turnage is married and has a six year-old son.

The Lee-Davis community will have the opportunity to meet and hear from the new coach on Thursday night at a Meet and Greet scheduled at the school's auditorium beginning at 7pm.

Special Report: More Changes To VHSL Reclassification (With Commentary)

Just when we had finished the first high school sports season in the "new era" of Virginia High School League (VHSL) Reclassification, the decks are about to be shuffled again.

It's the apparent result of both previously scheduled adjustments and concerns arising from a host of schools from across the Commonwealth.

Since the new alignment debuted last August, it was known that, every two years, adjustments to Conference and Regions would have to be made as school population levels fluctuated, new schools opened, and, in one case, two schools merging. The entire premise of the new 6A classification system was built on competition between schools with similar enrollment figures, with the hopes of more fair and equitable opportunities for all teams to compete for state championships, which in most sports were expanded from three to six.

In conjunction with the scheduled June 25 meeting amongst VHSL and individual school officials concerning the next alignment cycle, regions were able to express concerns about not just conference alignments, but other issues as well. One voiced multiple times was the way classifications, and the number of schools in each of the six, were divided. Another, not unexpected, was the new costs some schools are incurring with the new system.

When the 5A North representative, Stan Clements of Massaponax High School spoke, he noted that Patrick Henry had requested to be moved so that "all county schools would be in the same conference." After being in Conference 11 in a nine-team format that included Atlee and Lee-Davis, in the initial 2012 conference alignment, Patrick Henry then requested a move out of that conference, and the 5A South Region, to Conference 16 in 5A North, which, at the time, was just a three-team entity. Thus, this request is a "back to the future" move. In the end, it was only partially proposed (more below).

The concerns are not just in our area. C.D. Hylton High School wanted Conferences 4 and 8, which are in completely different regions of the 6A Classification, to merge for "financial and travel reasons for all Prince William County Schools".

At the April 8th meeting of this group, a "10 percent parameter" was proposed, using this "cushion" to make adjustments to the next cycle of conference and region assignments once the March 31, 2014 school enrollment figures were released. Most regions opposed the idea, and it was voted down in June by an 11-2 vote (Atlee principal Jennifer Cohodas, representing the 5A South Region, voted no, having supported it.)

Then, in another twist, the old met the new, as a motion was made and approved unaminously, to "move" Patrick Henry from the Colonial to the Capital District, in exchange for Glen Allen High School. Immediately, the question begs itself, why worry about District alignments that were part of the old system?  It gives indication that the VHSL will allow schools to continue allowing "regular season district play" prior to teams moving into Conference and Region tournaments through 2016-17. Some had believed district schedules continued in play just during the current two-year cycle (2013-14 and 2014-15) to allow schools more time to prepare for the complete changeover to the Conference format, meaning new opponents, rivalries, and in some cases, new travel costs.

So, when the proposed 2015-16 and 2016-17 Conference and Region alignments were released, so were new "proposed" District alignments.

If districts are "gone", why propose changes for another cycle? In the November 13, 2012 committee meeting, VHSL Executive Director Ken Tilley referred to districts such as the Capital and Colonial as "going out of existence".

So, from our cursory look at the minutes from the June 25th meeting, it looks like regular seasons for the foreseeable future will consist of "district" schedules from the past for many schools, changes for some, and more postseason Conference Tournament Games between teams who never see each other in regular season play. There are also some proposals that will end postseason matchups that survived the initial change to the new system.

To keep rivalries and cut down costs? It's certainly possible. It's also possible there's just not completely cemented agreement on the new system.

We certainly invite comment from anyone on the VHSL Alignment Committee. Appeals by schools to the proposed new alignment plan must be in the League office by July 24th. The Committee meets again August 11th and will submit a final alignment plan for approval on September 17th.

Here's the link to the proposed 2015-16, 2016-17 Region and Conference Alignments: CLICK HERE

Here are the proposed NEW Conferences which would be voted upon in September, taking effect in the Fall of 2015 (teams moved in bold with former Conference/Region (if applicable) in parenthesis):

6A SOUTH:

Conference 3:
Clover Hill (12, 5A South)
Cosby
Thomas Dale
Franklin County
Patrick Henry-Roanoke
James River (Midlothian)
Manchester (12, 5A South)

5A SOUTH:

Conference 11:
Douglas Freeman
Glen Allen (20, 4A South)
Henrico
Hermitage
Lee-Davis
J.R. Tucker (20, 4A South)

Conference 12:
L.C. Bird
Halifax (3, 6A South)
Highland Springs (11)
Matoaca
Meadowbrook
Prince George
Varina (3, 6A South)

5A NORTH:

Conference 16:
Albemarle
Atlee (11, 5A South)
Deep Run (11, 5A South)
Mills Godwin (11, 5A South)
Patrick Henry
Orange

4A SOUTH:

Conference 20:
Dinwiddie
Hanover
Huguenot (26, 3A East)
Midlothian
Monacan
Powhatan (19)

NOTES:

--Conference 3 would become a seven-team conference, up from six, with five of the schools from Chesterfield County, Clover Hill and Manchester moving up in classification.
--Conference 11 would shrink by two to a six-team conference, with Glen Allen and J.R. Tucker joining close county neighbors Hermitage and Douglas Freeman. Lee-Davis would be the only non-Henrico school, now the "loner" in Hanover County.
--Conference 12 moves to seven teams, adding Halifax, and both Highland Springs and Varina, looking to keep those two Eastern Henrico rivals together now that they are in the same classification (Varina moving down from 6A)
--Conference 16 adds two teams, and three new members as Halifax departs. Atlee joins Patrick Henry, with far West End schools Deep Run and Mills Godwin joining them, ending postseason Conference games between, for example, the 2014 Conference 11 Baseball Championship between archrivals Douglas Freeman and Mills Godwin.
--Conference 20 is lessened by one to six teams, says goodbye to Glen Allen and J.R. Tucker (as well as Caroline) and adds Huguenot (moving up a classification) and Powhatan from a now-imploded Conference 19.

REMINDER: This is a proposal. Nothing is set in stone for the next cycle until, at the earliest, September 17th.

HONORS: 5A All-State Softball Team With FIVE County Honorees!

Congratulations to the following student-athletes who were named to the 2014 VHSL Group 5A All-State Softball Team! Athletes from Hanover County are noted in bold:

Pitcher: Candace Whittemore, Patrick Henry
Pitcher: Sydney Harless, Great Bridge
Catcher: Ashley Samuels, Patrick Henry
Catcher: Cameron Hall, Atlee
Infielder: Emily Kenny, Stone Bridge
Infielder: Beth Ford, Patrick Henry
Infielder: Brooke McAllister, Albemarle
Infielder: Kinsee Stonebreaker, Lee-Davis
Infielder: Delaney Ambrose, Great Bridge
Outfielder: Cameryn Strother, Great Bridge
Outfielder: McKenzie Barlow, Prince George
Outfielder: Caylin Spencer, Massaponax
Outfielder: Stormy Zyzyk, Mount Vernon
Utility: Whitney Clements, Prince George

HONORS: All-5A South Region Softball Teams!

Congratulations to the following student-athletes named to the 2014 All-5A South Region Softball Teams! (Richmond-area honorees are found in bold...)

FIRST TEAM:
Pitcher: Jessica McCabe, Matoaca
Pitcher: Sydney Harless, Great Bridge
Catcher: Cameron Hall, Atlee
Catcher: Lauren Duff, Hickory
Infielder: Kinsee Stonebreaker, Lee-Davis
Infielder: Jordan Clark, Manchester 
Infielder: Anna Kalasinsky, Princess Anne
Infielder: Delaney Ambrose, Great Bridge
Infielder: Maddie Wilson, Kellam
Outfielder: McKenzie Barlow, Prince George
Outfielder: Lindsay Hall, Manchester
Outfielder: Alexis Holstrom, Kellam
Outfielder: Cameron Strother, Great Bridge
Utility: Mikayla Fallejo, Kellam
Utility: Whitney Clemons, Prince George
Utility: Chloe Carr, Great Bridge
Utility: Kaitlyn Hoffman, Salem

SECOND TEAM:
Pitcher: Peyton St. George, Atlee
Pitcher: Sami Jackson, Princess Anne
Catcher: Taylor Wells, Manchester
Catcher: Kaylah Duplain, Kempsville
Infielder: Raine Wilson, Atlee
Infielder: Taylor Clark, Matoaca
Infielder: Kayla Hugate, Manchester
Infielder: Katherine Priester, Kempsville
Infielder: Kelsey Sweeney, Menchville
Outfielder: Becca Fields, Lee-Davis
Outfielder: Mattie Fitzgerald, Atlee
Outfielder: Claire Murphy, Hickory
Outfielder: Kellie Mulvehill, Kempsville
Utility: Haleigh Edwards, Prince George
Utility: Sydney Hill, Princess Anne
Utility: Haley Brickels, Kellam

5A South Region Player of The Year: Anna Kalasinsky, Princess Anne
5A South Region Co-Pitchers of The Year: Jessica McCabe, Matoaca & Sydney Harless, Great Bridge
5A South Region Coach of The Year: John Earley, Atlee

Lee-Davis Football's Austin Rice Commits To Ferrum!!

Congratulations to Lee-Davis defensive end, linebacker, tight end, H-Back, split end, wildcat QB....and long snapper Austin Rice!  Rice is headed to play football, and study criminal justice at Ferrum College, a member of the USA South Conference.

Ferrum opens its 2014 season against ODAC member Emory & Henry on September 6th!

(Austin is shown with his parents Jimmy and Michelle Rice (seated), his head football coach while at Lee-Davis, Zac Hayden, receivers coach Rich Wooddy, and Activities Director Della Childress.)

BACK-TO-BACK: Hanover Claims Another State Baseball Title...

For the second straight year, Hanover baseball gets a Sheriff's Department escort into Hanover High School. This year, though, without the tornado warning that plagued last year's celebration.

Derek Casey pitched a complete game and the Hawks offense broke open for their best performance in region or state competition, cruising to a 7-1 victory over Millbrook for the 4A State Championship.

Hanover finishes the season at 21-2, having not lost in Virginia all season, their only two defeats coming at the Forest Acres Spring Break Classic in South Carolina. After the contest and trophy ceremony, eleven Hanover seniors broke out their caps and gowns and received their diplomas down the third base line at Liberty Stadium in Lynchburg, about 30 minutes before the Hanover Commencement for the Class of 2014 began back in Richmond at the Siegel Center.

(Photo Courtesy of Kathy Denton)

THE WRAP: Hanover Baseball A Win Away From Back-To-Back Titles...

On Friday in Lynchburg, it was pitching, defense, and even some insurance runs, all coming together for the benefit of the Hanover Hawks.

The Hawks won their 20th game of 2014, pulling away late with three insurance runs in the sixth inning to break open a close game, and break the spirit of 4A North runner-up Sherando, defeating the Warriors 6-2 in a 4A State Semifinal at Liberty University.

Grey Lyttle, starting his fourth postseason game in the Hawks' last five, allowed two runs and five hits over 4 1/3 innings for the win. Lyttle struck out five, leaving the game with two aboard in the top of the fifth. Those two runners accounted for the Warriors' only runs on the afternoon when Hayden Fox lined a single into center to score Zach Henke and Reid Entsminger.

The Warriors left six runners stranded in the first four innings, two more in the fifth for a total of eight.

Hanover struck first in the third inning. Anthony Zona singled, but was forced out on a fielders choice from Brady Didlake, who reached first. Taylor McDougal ran for Didlake, advancing to second on a passed ball by Sherando catcher Chase Smallwood. He advanced to third when Josh Shepherd slapped an infield single towards short to put runners at the corners with two down.

With Cayman Richardson at the plate, Shepherd took off to steal second. The throw from the catcher was cut off by pitcher Adam Whitacre, catching Shepherd in a rundown. But it gave time for McDougal to score from third. Shepherd's slide went underneath the tag attempt of Connor Stevenson at first, continuing the inning, but Shepherd would later commit the third out again attempting to steal second base.

"We ran aggressively today, but not aggressively and smart," said Hanover head coach Charlie Dragum. "It's something we've been working on 30-40 minutes every practice: baserunning. There's no more time to practice now. We've got to be smarter."

In the fourth, Richardson reached on a ball that caromed off Henke's glove at shortstop, ruled a base hit. After being sacrificed to second, two batters later, Trevor Denton hit a single to right to score Richardson, whose graceful slide included his left hand going right underneath the catcher. Eliott Sledd singled next, scoring John Gregory, who had walked just before Denton's hit, making it 3-0 Hawks.

A defensive play and a break on the basepaths, both worked to break the back of Sherando. In the third inning with runners at first and second for the Warriors, Entsminger grounded to Richardson at short, who threw to Shepherd at second for the force play. Shepherd then faked the throw to first for the possible double play (it would not have been in time to get the runner), then fired over to third, where Denton tagged out Henke for the final out of that inning.

Then, in the sixth, Gregory was hit by a pitch, Denton laid down a perfect bunt towards first base for an infield single. Sledd next bunted for a sacrifice, but the throw by Whitacre to third for the force was late, loading the bases. Zona launched a fly ball to deep right caught on a run by Fox, the sacrifice fly allowing Gregory to score for a 4-2 game.

Jakob Pridemore bunted, and there was no play available for the Warrior defense. The bases again were loaded for Didlake. On the first pitch to him, Sherando caught Denton in a rundown between third base and home plate. Before he reached the plate, the home plate umpire ruled Denton was tagged out by Smallwood. But later discussion amongst the officials led to overturning the call, as the new pitcher, Ty Michaud, committed interference on the path near home plate, slowing Denton down to the benefit of Smallwood.

Sherando head coach Pepper Martin pleaded his case. Smallwood had to take Michaud away from the umpire. It was the final straw for the Warriors. Michaud later hit Richardson with a pitch, scoring Sledd with the final run of the game.

The Warriors were retired in order twice, in the 6th and 7th innings, by Trevor Denton, who didn't allow a hit, striking out two to wrap it up.

Hanover now faces 4A North Region champion Millbrook, 10-3 winners Friday morning over Grafton, for the state title Saturday at 1pm. The Hawks have senior ace Derek Casey rested and ready to go. Casey pitched six innings and got the win a year ago when Hanover won the 2013 Group AAA State Championship by defeating Great Bridge.

"Derek is ready. He'll be ready," Dragum said when asked by reporters about his number one starter.

Casey certainly will be a factor. But defense, and better work on the basepaths, will, too, be key, if the Hawks want to bring home their second state title trophy in as many seasons Saturday evening.

UPDATED: 5A State Championship Tournament To Saturday/Sunday....

Patrick Henry softball will have to wait another day to play.

The VHSL, in anticipation of widespread rain and storm activity over Northern Virginia Friday, has postponed all 5A and 6A State Semifinals in spring sports to Saturday 6/14. The Championship games are now Sunday 6/15.

The Patrick Henry/Great Bridge 5A Softball Semifinal is at 12PM on Saturday.

NOTE: The 4A State Baseball Tournament in Lynchburg with Hanover baseball is currently STILL ON for Friday and Saturday.

All-Conference 20 Softball Team!

We apologize for the delay; here is the All-Conference 20 Softball Teams, with All-Academic honors noted with (*)...

FIRST TEAM:
Pitcher: Kiandra Mitchum, Hanover*
Pitcher: Brianna Tarzia, Glen Allen*
Catcher: Jennifer Blake, J.R. Tucker*
Catcher: Maura Long, Hanover*
Infield: Karleigh Donovan, Dinwiddie*
Infield: Kristen Latham, J.R. Tucker
Infield: Kendall Arnold, Glen Allen*
Infield: Cameron Branzelle, Dinwiddie*
Infield: Kaylyn Shepherd, Hanover*
Outfield: Katie Smith, Midlothian*
Outfield: Zoe Millard, Glen Allen*
Outfield: Cammie Brummitt, Glen Allen*
Outfield: Mackenzie Wyatt, Hanover*
Utility: Kiersten Richardson, Glen Allen*
Utility: Carleigh Staszewski, Dinwiddie

SECOND TEAM:
Pitcher: Kara Deppe, J.R. Tucker*
Catcher: Dayna Scarberry, Monacan*
Catcher: Autumn Black, Glen Allen*
Infield: Erin Acors, Hanover*
Infield: Jordan Ellis, Monacan*
Infield: Maddie Stone, Glen Allen*
Infield: India Holmes, Caroline
Infield: Haley Gilbert, Hanover*
Outfield: Breanna Barthlow, Monacan
Outfield: Casandra Cooper, Caroline
Outfield: Cameron Cisik, J.R. Tucker*
Outfield: Caroline Batalias, Monacan*

HONORABLE MENTION:
Jenna Gravins, Midlothian*
Allison Marrow, Caroline
Annah Walsh, Midlothian*
Eryn King, Hanover*
Annemarie Beran, J.R. Tucker*
Summer Simulcik, Caroline
Blake Seal, Caroline
Sara Stephens, Midlothian*
Hannah Fritz, Glen Allen*

Conference 20 Pitcher Of The Year: Kiandra Mitchum, Hanover
Conference 20 Player Of The Year: Karleigh Donovan, Dinwiddie
Conference 20 Coach Of The Year: Stephanie Acors, Hanover

5A North All-Region Baseball, Softball, Girls Soccer Teams!!

Congratulations to the follow student-athletes for their All-5A North Region awards!

BASEBALL:

FIRST TEAM:
Pitcher: J.B. Bukaskas, Stone Bridge
Pitcher: Conner Hall, Edison
Catcher: Mitch Blackstone, Marshall
Catcher: Tristan Howerton, Halifax
1st Base: Tim Goeglein, Edison
2nd Base: Tyler Starling, Patrick Henry
2nd Base: Nick Trio, Brooke Point
3rd Base: Dave Mocabee, Stone Bridge
Shortstop: Scott Steger, Potomac
Outfield: Kyle Palmer, Stone Bridge
Outfield: Austin Gregory, North Stafford
Outfield: Alex Burke, Potomac
Outfield: Ryan Powell, Halifax
DH: Conor Boyle, Marshall
Utility: Tyler Bailey, North Stafford

SECOND TEAM:
Pitcher: William Strong, Patrick Henry
Pitcher: Jake Blevins, Potomac
Pitcher: Cullen Moore, North Stafford
Catcher: Eli Quiceno, Stone Bridge
Catcher: Brady Kaplan, Tuscarora
1st Base: Joe Trio, Brooke Point
2nd Base: Jordan Brown, Potomac Falls
3rd Base: Austin Meyers, North Stafford
3rd Base: Edward Hurtado, Mt. Vernon
Shortstop: Andrew McCann, Halifax
Shortstop: John Callahan, Stone Bridge
Outfield: A.J. Hart, Patrick Henry
Outfield: William Roukis, Freedom
Outfield: D.G. Archer, Albemarle
Outfield: Bradley Beougher, Mt. Vernon
DH: Jacob Seibert, Massaponax
DH: Ryan Hale, Broad Run
Utility: Michael Martinez, Broad Run

5A North Region Player of The Year: Mitch Blackstone, Marshall
5A North Region Coach of The Year: Sam Plank, Stone Bridge

**************
SOFTBALL:

FIRST TEAM:
Pitcher: Candace Whittemore, Patrick Henry
Pitcher: Madison Larson, Marshall
Catcher: Ashley Samuels, Patrick Henry
Catcher: Kamille Larrabe, Broad Run
Infield: Emily Kenny, Stone Bridge
Infield: Beth Ford, Patrick Henry
Infield: Brooke McAllister, Albemarle
Infield: Madison Sterner, Edison
Infield: Jade Fleming, Stone Bridge
Outfield: Caylin Spencer, Massaponax
Outfield: Amber Scites, Mountain View
Outfield: Stormy Zyzyk, Mount Vernon
Outfield: Kat Uher, Marshall
Utility: Nicole Badami, North Stafford

SECOND TEAM:
Pitcher: Taylor Barnes, Halifax
Pitcher: Erin Rockwell, Mt. Vernon
Catcher: Ashley Watts, Halifax
Catcher: Chelsea Brooks, Brooke Point
Infield: An Smith, Thomas Jefferson
Infield: Grayson Radcliffe, Patrick Henry
Infield: Rachael Payne, Brooke Point
Infield: Emily Pryor, North Stafford
Infield: Grace Mattimore, Broad Run
Outfield: Kendall Thomas, Patrick Henry
Outfield: Michala Pellegrino, Tuscarora
Outfield: Kyeneisha Logan, Halifax
Outfield: Casey Forbes, Briar Woods
Utility: Kirsten Doss, Halifax

5A North Region Player of The Year: Emily Kenny, Stone Bridge
5A North Region Coach of The Year: Shelby Webb, Patrick Henry

******************
GIRLS SOCCER:

FIRST TEAM:
Forward: McKensey Ziegler, Briar Woods
Forward: Caroline Kerns, Broad Run
Forward: Kaitlin Bailey, Massaponax
Forward: Megan Schnell, Albemarle
Forward: Meghan Kammerdeiner, Freedom
Midfield: Abby Downey, Tuscarora
Midfield: Sara Deutsch, Broad Run
Midfield: Emily Fox, Stone Bridge
Midfield: Jazzy Loredo, Albemarle
Midfield: Rayven Conner, Briar Woods
Defense: Miranda Cowardin, Patrick Henry
Defense: Lauren Kelly, Briar Woods
Defense: Lexi Taylor, Broad Run
Defense: Bridget McGregor, Mountain View
Goalkeeper: Courtenay Kaplan, Tuscarora

SECOND TEAM:
Foward: Allyson Brown, Briar Woods
Forward: Alex Addington, Stone Bridge
Forward: Erika Tomayko, Mountain View
Forward: Katie Valery, Thomas Jefferson
Forward: Michelle Leung, Stuart
Midfield: Anna Heilferty, Stuart
Midfield: Anne Brady, Albemarle
Midfield: Mary Grace McGregor, Mountain View
Midfield: Victoria Coleman, Marshall
Midfield: Lindsay Gallagher, Stone Bridge
Defense: Abby Davison, Albemarle
Defense: Taylor Higgison, Lee
Defense: Kylie Sanders, North Stafford
Defense: Lauren Short, Tuscarora
Defense: Lydia Hall, Patrick Henry
Goalkeeper: Cecilia Keppeler, Mountain View

5A North Region Player of The Year: McKensey Ziegler, Briar Woods
5A North Region Coach of The Year: Ann Vierkorn, Briar Woods

All-4A South Region Baseball Team!!

Congratulations to the following student-athletes named to the 2014 All-4A South Region Baseball Team announced today! All-Academic honorees are listed with an asterisk. All-Academic honorees were only announced for the First Team.

FIRST TEAM:
Pitcher: Derek Casey, Hanover*
Pitcher: Robert Fitzwater, Nansemond River*
Catcher: Michael Moorehead, Smithfield
Catcher: Tyler Lilley, Lakeland
1st Base: Kam Simms, Glen Allen*
2nd Base: Ricks Dearing, Grafton
Shortstop: Kieton Rivers, Nansemond River*
3rd Base: Trevor Denton, Hanover
Outfield: Randy Neisz, J.R. Tucker
Outfield: C.J. Freedman, Midlothian*
Outfield: Evan Lowery, Jamestown*
Outfield: Trevor Riggs, Nansemond River*
DH: Patrick Hall, Glen Allen*
Utility: Ryan Hiser, Grafton

SECOND TEAM:
Pitcher: Evan Sperling, Grafton
Pitcher: Gray Harris, Grafton
Catcher: Brady Didlake, Hanover
Catcher: Robert Fitzwater, Nansemond River
1st Base: Shane McCaw, Nansemond River
2nd Base: Michael Blackburn, Midlothian
Shortstop: Cayman Richardson, Hanover
3rd Base: Chase Williams, Nansemond River
Outfield: Austin Slough, Glen Allen
Outfield: Liam Lowery, Jamestown
Outfield: Ben Phifer, Tabb
Outfield: Duke Santora, Kings Fork
DH: Matt Holt, Nansemond River
Utility: Cal Bailey, Kings Fork

HONORABLE MENTION:
Pitcher: Matt Franklin, Midlothian
Pitcher: Mike Parmentier, Nansemond River
Catcher; Austin Hale, Dinwiddie
Catcher: Jordan Spouse, Grafton
1st Base: Luke Rodgers, Powhatan
2nd Base: Jarrid Johnson, Nansemond River
Shortstop: Spencer Brown, Grafton
3rd Base: Sean Hughes, Jamestown
3rd Base: Jimmy Barnes, Deep Creek
Outfield: Jakob Pridemore, Hanover
Outfield: Jefferson Knight, Lakeland
Outfield: Robbie Bradshaw, Churchland
DH: Matt Bochain, Jamestown
Utility: Nick Koutsoukos, Glen Allen

4A SOUTH REGION PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Derek Casey, Hanover
4A SOUTH REGION COACH OF THE YEAR: Charlie Dragum, Hanover

STATE CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE:

4A STATE BASEBALL SEMIFINALS (Friday June 13th at Liberty University, Lynchburg):

Sherando vs. Hanover, 3pm
Grafton vs. Millbrook, 9am (Change due to Grafton graduation at 7pm)
(If Hanover wins, 4A State Championship Game is Saturday June 14th, 1pm at same location.)

5A STATE SOFTBALL SEMIFINALS (Friday June 13th at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Burke):

Briar Woods vs. Prince George, 4pm
Great Bridge vs. Patrick Henry, 7pm
(If PH wins, 5A State Championship Game is Saturday June 14th, 2pm at Robinson Secondary School in Fairfax.)

NOTE: Tickets are $10 for all VHSL Championship Games.

**************
TENNIS:

4A STATE BOYS TEAM SEMIFINAL (Monday June 9th in Lynchburg):

Hanover at E.C. Glass, 12Noon
(If Hanover wins, State Final is Saturday June 14th, 1pm at Liberty University, Lynchburg)

4A STATE BOYS SINGLES SEMIFINAL (Thursday June 12th at Liberty University):

Parker Wilson (John Handley) vs. Danny Polk (Hanover), 10am
James Pollard (Hanover) vs. Michael Drougas (Salem), 10am

NOTE: Winners play for 4A State Singles Championship that day at 1pm.

4A STATE BOYS DOUBLES SEMIFINAL (Friday June 13th at Liberty University):

Daly/Montemousque (E.C. Glass) vs. Polk/Pollard (Hanover), 10am

NOTE: Winners play for 4A State Doubles Championship that day at 1pm.

REGION CHAMPS!: Hanover Baseball, PH Softball Prevail....

Two teams take home Region Championship trophies tonight, as Hanover baseball shut out Grafton 2-0 in the 4A South title game, while Patrick Henry topped Briar Woods 6-2 on the road in the 5A North Softball Championship game.

Grey Lyttle and Matthew Corley combined on a shutout, as Lyttle struck out six over his three innings, then Corley entered to do the rest as the Hawks (19-2) plated runs in the third and fourth innings for the victory. John Gregory's two-out double in the third scored Cayman Richardson, while Jakob Pridemore's single in the fourth scored Elliot Sledd, who singled to start the frame.

Hanover advances to next Friday's State 4A Semifinals at Liberty University in Lynchburg.

Meanwhile, the Patriots opened up a 4-1 lead at Briar Woods, then rode the arm of Candace Whittemore, who completed 21 innings of work in 5A North Region play by allowing just three runs as Patrick Henry moved to 18-1 on the season. Briana Woody had an important two-run double in the top of the seventh to put the game away, as Briar Woods did mount a brief seventh-inning rally, but only scored once.

The Patriots take on Great Bridge, 5A South Region runners-up, next Friday at 7pm at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Fairfax County in the State 5A Semifinals, looking for their second trip to a state final in three years. Patrick Henry lost 3-2 in 10 innings to Cosby in the 2012 State Group AAA Championship Game.

LISTEN LIVE to PH Softball in Region Championship!!

Can't make it up I-95 to Briar Woods for tonight's 5A North Region Championship?

No problem!  Our friend Evan Hughes of "Patriot Talk Live" will be broadcasting the game via BlogTalkRadio tonight as the Patriots look for the Region crown and a #1 seed in next Friday's State Semifinals!

Listen to the game BY CLICKING HERE!

And remember to follow us on Twitter, @hanoversports, for real-time updates from tonight's 4A South Baseball Championship as Hanover hosts Grafton, beginning at 7pm!