Leaderboard

How about a memorable 5-game series during the course of a season?!?!? Grayson County played Floyd County five times during the 1996-1997 season. Grayson lost to Floyd by a point in the old Marion Holiday Tournament in December. They played a home-and-home during the regular season where Floyd won both games by a combined 3 points. Floyd won 60-57 in the Region C Championship game at the Dedmon Center at Radford University. A week later in the state semifinal, Grayson jumped out early and kept the lead until late in the 4th quarter. Floyd was able to squeak out another win though 59-57. Floyd beat Grayson 5 times that season by a combined 9 points. Floyd finished the year unbeaten, winning the state championship over Surry. Alan Cantrell was quoted in the Roanoke Times saying something along the lines of, "if we are the best team in the state, it's a safe bet Grayson is second." I can vividly remember plays from those games. The Grayson coach at the time told the players they have no idea just how close they were to winning a state championship. That sentiment rings true all these years later. Grayson finished that season with 6 loses, 5 to the unbeaten eventual state champions.

The Graham-Gate City state semifinal game at Tazewell Middle School in 2018 is one that stands out to me. Mac McClung scored 42 points that night while Gate City punched its ticket to Richmond. I was on the call for NFHS that night. TMS was filled to the brim.