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Unfortunately for VHS, Bristol is trending in a different direction. This year’s starting lineup is talented and experienced, but they generally only dress 12-13 kids per game. A couple of which, have to change into a varsity uniform, immediately after their JV game ends, just so we have some bodies. People have been fooled by the 11-8 record of VHS on the season. Injuries ravaged the team in the first half of the season. Our two-time All-State 1st baseman missed 5 games due to a hamstring injury. Our #2 pitcher, and regular SS has dealt with herniated disks in his back all season. Our 3 year starter at 2nd base, as a baserunner getting a lead from third base, took a foul ball on the ankle from a near 100 MPH exit velocity line drive, and was hobbled for a bit. Our utility outfielder that plays both LF and RF depending on who is pitching, who is 6’5 and the fastest kid on a team with great team speed, would be a valuable asset to the pitching rotation but has dealt with shoulder issues all year. The Bearcats are the healthiest they have been all season and are winning games. The Bearcats have lost 8 games, but not a single one has been a “bad loss”, so to speak. Their losses are..... Three hard fought losses at Myrtle Beach, an extra inning loss to JSB to one of the area’s top pitchers, two losses to a very solid 18-2 Abingdon team, where the Bearcats led in the 5th inning in both games, an extra inning loss to a stacked team from Ohio, that beat Abingdon, in the FCA tournament where the Bearcats blew a five run, 7th inning lead when two of our starters went down with injuries, and a 3-0 loss to potentially one of the best pitchers this area has seen in decades, from a (previously) one-loss Lebanon team. The beautiful thing about all of this, is we are talking about playoff, high school baseball. You never know what to expect at this time of the year. I’m glad that Graham’s baseball feeder system is doing well. I hope to see this for other schools in the region, too. I’m just afraid that is not the case in the immediate future in Bristol.

😂 Richlands May know a little something about that from back in the day. If you win, they will come!

He throws harder than Moore. That’s what concerns me from a Union standpoint. I always forget Abingdon, I’ve not seen them. I’m referencing the 2A schools. Key to beating Grayson is contact. Their defense is shaky.

Better than Battles ace or Abingdons best? He must be dominant then.

You are correct.

That you know of lol

And we didn’t have to offer anyone a job!

Well, you are straight to the point. To continue with your theme, the Graham fans are going to be Mountain High with a perfect "View" of the football season and the one from Mount View is pretty much a sure thing. Graham gets exactly what they needed which were the two biggest question marks and that's another lineman as the offensive line was a question mark and another athlete at WR/DB and who will get touches out of the backfield. If both are on the field in August, Graham will be tough to deal with it. They may be considered the favorite in every game, and that includes game one in my opinion.

That’s what I hoped would be the outcome this year. Being a realist, this team came fairly close to maxing out its potential later in the year. Graham will be better still yet in coming years, as the time put into the BVLL in the early 2010s is paying some dividends. The kids from the outstanding middle school program are moving up and continuing their training. Baseball is becoming fun!

They was an extremely down year for 2D, and Battle got an extremely favorable path to get there. Fort Chiswell wasn’t a bad team, but when a team that can’t beat a sub-.500 Graham team is the #1 seed in the region, let’s just say it’s not a banner year. The “Miracle at Max Meadows” was the play of the year for SWVA football, though.

Prior to Steve Wright's hiring in 2011, Battle had 7 seasons above .500 and 2 playoff appearances in the entire history of the school. Not every school has a Gate City, Union, or Graham pedigree that can just get focused and accomplish something great. Battle genuinely has had to build from scratch and the fact that they have been consistently competitive is a good sign that Stone's staff had the program trending in an upward direction.