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You are spot-on about lots of issues. I hope they get it fixed. It just seems the same problems resurface every few years. The week I graduated, the lead story in the Gazette and Declaration was about the former superintendent being charged with embezzlement and taking his family on lavish vacations to the Bahamas, Aruba and Bermuda by using school system funds. That was 24 years ago and it has happened more than a half dozen times since. Grayson tends to be a very insular county as a whole so change, any change, wont be easy and will be met with strong resistance. For the sake of the kids and the school system, I hope they have the right people in place to finally get these issues resolved. Competing in the SWD will force them to either be non-competitive in a lot of sports or raise the level of support and allow the athletic programs to grow much like Graham coming into the MED forced Galax and Fort Chiswell to raise the bar.

How far did those 9-1 and 8-2 football teams get come playoff time? Beating Bland and Alleghany, NC don't prepare you for Dan River and Richlands!

Semantics aside, Grayson's athletic programs have taken a nosedive since my playing days and those of my brother. In terms of community support, administrative support, student involvement, coaching, facilities and on-field product, I hate to see it for the kids who are involved. Many of whom, I know personally. Grayson produces some fine athletes who deserve better facilities and support than what they receive. From an outside perspective, it's easy to see what is lacking. Then again, I have been away from Grayson County for the better part of 24 years.

Speaking of "carried away", athletics as a whole in Grayson County aren't paying any bills! I was at the Glenvar and Galax games this past season. Both visiting teams outdrew Grayson from my perspective and Galax outdrew Grayson by a wide margin. I have been to several baseball games over the past few years where Grayson has had impressive crowds for a sport most schools consider an afterthought. I will agree with you about the new district alignment. Travel increases will be substantial when compared to the MED.

Galax has been exceptional in football for several years now. The Essex and Riverheads games weren't the huge upsets people perceive them to be. Basketball, over the past dozen years has been great also but this season, has tapered way off. They returned 8 points from last season. Not 8 points per game but 8 points TOTAL. They are a very strong defensive team given most of the kids came over from football but lack anything resembling scoring and can't shoot a lick. Last season, Galax had Clif Conley, Dominic DiGiacomo and Caleb Bartlett. Conley averages 10 points per game at E&H as a freshman and plays significant minutes. DiGiacomo and Bartlett were three year starters who could score and shoot the basketball. In a typical year, Galax record in basketball can be very deceiving given they play a very tough and ambitious schedule. I think you will find, this isn't the typical Galax basketball team.

In no way is this intended to be disparaging. It just baffles me. How the hell did Chilhowie lose by 18 to a hapless Galax team last night?

Grayson County has a rich tradition in baseball and from 1988 to (i believe) 2009, lost something like 4 district games total. They have averaged 2 loses per season since 2009, including several to Galax, a first in school history. Most see that as a lack of competitiveness within the district dragging them down. That assessment is probably accurate to be honest. MED isn't much of a baseball district outside of Grayson County. Don't underestimate how important baseball is to Grayson County citizens. The baseball games routinely outdraw football games and, for the most part, by a large margin. As for James River and East Mont. James River is significantly larger than any other Pioneer school, especially since Glenvar left the Pioneer for the Three Rivers many years ago. They view a drop in athletic performance as a lack of competitiveness within the Pioneer. East Mont will most likely have better success making the playoffs in various sports now that they will be competing against schools of a similar size and ability. The moral of the story is, the less competition you play, the less competitive you become.

Grayson County's baseball program has suffered somewhat from lack of competition being in the MED. That, and that alone, is the sole factor in Grayson's move to the SWD and has been planned for some time now. Baseball is king in Grayson County so I don't believe they will change their minds. I'm not sure what happened to George Wythe and Rural Retreat. Last I heard, Wythe County wanted all three of it's schools in a single district. Auburn remaining in the TRD makes little sense to me. James River has wanted out of the Pioneer for competitive reasons for several years now according to some close friends who live in the area. Same scenario for East Mont. They can't compete in the TRD so they wanted to go to the Pioneer.

Trump is hungry for power the way he has been hungry for money over the past 40 years. His hate speak, rhetoric and histrionics comes close to rising to the level of early 1930's Germany.

Caleb Spurlin has been offered a recruited walk-on spot at VT. Several other offers from smaller schools so it's not a given he will end up in Blacksburg from what I understand.

Galax seeks NFL grant for football field By Shannon Watkins Monday, January 25, 2016 at 6:00 am (Updated: January 25, 6:00 am) more Galax High School’s capital fundraising campaign for the football field through NFL grants is bolstered by the fact that Coach Mark Dixon is a former player for the Miami Dolphins. Craig Worrell GHS football coach Mark Dixon is a former Miami Dolphins player, and the school system has approached the team’s alumni group about a $700,000 grant for improvements to the high school football field. “Believe me, it is very difficult to get a phone number that goes to the Miami Dolphins,†said Superintendent Bill Sturgill at the Galax School Board’s Jan. 12 meeting. “There’s not an email address on the website. The number is an answering machine, and calling it daily does not get you anywhere.†While the board laughed sympathetically, he continued. “I’d like to thank Mark Dixon for all he’s done for us – not just winning the state football championship, but he was able to get me a contact within the Dolphins’ organization, which led to a conversation with their administrator in charge of alumni. And so, they now have our request, which will go to the board of directors for alumni. “They may send us $15, or they may send us $700,000 — and I asked for $700,000!†Sturgill said. When he asked the person in charge of alumni grants, Nat Board, for guidelines, according to Sturgill, “He said, ‘Is it under a million dollars?’ And I said ‘yes.’ And he said, ‘Well, ask for it all.’†“I think a Dolphins logo would look good on you!†joked Board Member Stewart Merdian. Sturgill said there was also some talk about making a football field fundraiser the senior project this year, possibly through online crowdfunding site GoFundMe. “It’s all about getting the message out. The students know that and they know how to connect. We’re excited about the possibility of a contribution from the Dolphins; they were excited as well. They really like to support their alumni,†Sturgill said. “It’s interesting. We fall under the jurisdiction of the Redskins, and there is a $10,000 grant that we can apply for through the Redskins specifically for a turf field, so we’re doing that, also, through the city with the help of [Galax City Grant Administrator] Brenda Marrah.â€

Coach Dixon has helped the Galax administration apply for a 700k little known grant package from the NFL to install a turf field.

And like the Tebow bill, it will get more and more support each year it is introduced. The poor folks in NOVA,Richmond and Tidewater are so repressed.

Galax got roughly 11" total.

This may be the reason for his departure. I spoke to the parent of another back over Christmas break (names omitted for personal reasons) who suggested her son had been asked by the new coaching staff to move to the defensive side of the ball.

Often times, localities, universities, companies and even high schools will have a preferred company for supplying specific items. That is usually found in the technical specifications of a project and will often be slightly different than what you see in renderings. Plus, its an architects job to make it look pretty. It's an engineers job to make it work.

Reviving an old thread to say congratulations to this young man once again. Saw a post from Craig Worrell on Twitter last night. Lucas graduated from Liberty in 2-1/2 years and is currently in graduate school. All while playing football. Impressive!

Bob Stoops in an article talking about his recruitment of DeMarco Murray. DeMarco Murray was a 6-foot sophomore at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas when the football coach told the skinny running back he was about to steer Bob Stoops through the gym during a visit to recruit another player. David White, the Bishop Gorman football coach, suggested a dunk by Murray might catch the eye of the Oklahoma football coach. Several minutes later, on cue and in plain sight, Murray bounced a basketball off the floor, angled it off the wall so it could carom back over a side backboard. While the ball pin-balled, Murray exploded into the air, performed a 360-degree pirouette, extended his arms and slammed the ball through the basket. “Tell that kid, he has a scholarship to Oklahoma.â€

Within the last year Urban Meyer, Nick Saban, Bob Stoops and Jim Harbaugh have all said they prefer multi-sport athletes. Just sayin.......

Nothing like this happened when I was playing in the late 80's and early 90's. I spoke to my brother last night. He doesn't remember anything like this when he played from 94-98. One thing I will agree with my brother about. If this were to have happened, we would have settled it with an old fashioned fist fight. I guess that doesn't happen anymore!?!?!

Carroll County won their appeal to join the Three Rivers District yesterday. If I'm not mistaken, that would ensure Auburn and East Mont would be moving on as well given Carroll is 4A and they are both 1A. Is this correct?

Or first in line for Mars One!

Slashed schools don't belong in a SWVA poll! Just my opinion but one I am certain is shared by many regulars to this site. Carroll County is terrible. They were crushed by Floyd and barely beat a helpless Galax team the other night. Radford is the class of SWVA basketball right now. The Martinsville win is as impressive a win as anyone in Virginia has had this season, regardless of division. Honaker and George Wythe are very good as well. I have seen Fort play. They will win some regular season games with a weak schedule but don't have a lot of talent and wont hang around very long in the post season. The rest doesn't matter for another month.

1. Hire an excellent attorney. 2. Hire an excellent financial planner. 3. Start trust funds for my children. 4. Buy a reasonable home in a secluded location near quality golf that rarely gets cold. 5. Retire to said location.

What I saw out of VT was a level of competitiveness not seen in many years. Those kids can play but they have to learn how to compete at the ACC level. Looks like Buzz has them going in that direction. Should add excitement to college basketball in this state as long as VT maintains this momemtum.