sixcat

All three schools that have a coaching salary over 100k are in Columbia. I was stationed there in the military for a few years. The three schools, Lexington, Irmo and Dutch Fork, are located around Lake Murray and are only a few miles away from each other. They have some big name alumni in just about every sport imaginable. Home football game attendance is like a mid-major college game. Easily 20k in attendance.

I watch Golf Channel daily and play golf on average between 3 and 4 times per week so I am a self proclaimed addict. My lovely wife claims to be a golf "widow" and she is not particularly interested in anything golf related. With that said, she couldn't take her eyes off of the coverage this weekend. She has watched all of the celebratory media tours since with Morning Drive, Piers Morgan, David Letterman, and many others. Given the reaction of my wife, I think Bubba could be a "crossover champion" meaning he has the ability to reach the casual or even non-golf fan. Maybe not on the scale of Tiger but at least Bubba is a better person to help grow the game around. I also love the fact that Bubba is not cut out of the cookie cutter mold players of today seem to be. He is authentic in his life and his game and to me, that's refreshing.

hokie07, The only evidence needed to show how well liked Bubba is on Tour is by how many fellow PGA Tour players and caddies met him on the 10th green to show their support of his victory. How many times have you seen that happen? As for the Elkington issue, it was resolved within days of the incident and was all started when Elk said Bubba "would be selling cars in two years".

I have followed Bubba in Charlotte a few times over the years but my best memory of him were from last year at Augusta on Wednesday. Coming off the green at 17, he walked past us to the 18th tee, stopped, got a ball from his caddie, Ted Scott, signed it and gave it to the 11 year old boy standing to my left. He then brought the boy onto the tee and allowed him to walk the entire 18th hole with him. Bubba is a super nice guy. Edit to add photo of the above referenced memory.

Galax, Grayson, Fort Chiswell and Bland all have very good middle school baseball programs.

Wow! Tough crowd. PM lost to Rockbridge twice, Glenvar, James River and Galax. Rockbridge is 24-2 and won Region 3 D3. Glenvar is still alive in D2 after Region C runner-up. James River is a border rivalry that you can throw records aside when PM and JR meet in any sport. Galax is defending Group A D1 champions and 24-2. http://www.roanoke.com/timesland/schoolscheduleBB.aspx?school=125369&sid=12&syid=7

I no longer officiate because I have small children. I have not officiated since leaving the military in Texas and I never said I was ever a VHSL official. As for getting to the game early enough to talk to the administration from Castlewood and the referee's, why would I do that? I don't know anyone from Castlewood nor do I know any of those officials. I was there early enough to speak to Galax administration who told me the situation with Galax wearing road whites. I also witnessed a few Galax kids getting the road white's off their mothers backs to change into. As for the ejection rule, it is dependent upon video and coach interviews also but, as I stated earlier, the way I understand it. I have never had that issue in a game and it is not anything a referee would need to worry about. All we need to know is they are ejected from the game being played. VHSL administration should let referees know for future games who is ineligible.

He played for Jimmie Johnson in Miami for the Dolphins. Jimmie said that exact phrase several times while at the U.

Thank you!

These kids have earned the right to wear home maroon throughout the playoffs. It's immature to take that right away from them!

That is my point. I am sick of reading about this group running up the score from people who read a box score and never see a game. The simple fact is, Galax's forth string TB has over 650 yards and 7 TD's, third stringer has almost 900 yards and 8 TD's. The backup QB's (both of them) have played extensive minutes. People also need to realize, they only have 23 players on varsity. They don't have enough to make wholesale substitutions. If you read newspaper interviews, coach Dixon has always said he wishes he had more kids to help keep scores down. This group of seniors deserve credit. They are 21-4 in football and have only lost 2 games in basketball in 2 seasons including a state championship last season. This group of senior golfers won 3 state titles in 4 years. The senior volleyball girls have gone to the state tournament each of the past 2 seasons. The cross country team placed in state for the 19th time in 19 years. Give them credit, no matter what you think of the coaches, me or anyone else who supports this community.

That's my opinion and you obviously have your's. IMO, the coaching staff at Castlewood chose to come two and a half hours knowing they had their home uniforms. It was a childish move meant to get under the skin of the Galax players and coaches. The fact that I officiated at one point in my life has no bias on my opinion of another person or group of people.

If the player is inside the pad, it's a horsecollar. I just wish the Federation would allow the referees to make judgement calls in that situation instead of trying to clearly define a horsecollar. Most people know what a horsecollar is when they see it but it's not easy to define.

I am an official and thought the grounding call was justified. Not trying to argue the point but I would have called it. He had all day to throw as Galax fell back in coverage with it being 3rd and about 14 from the Castlewood 7 yard line. The QB had nowhere to go with the ball and was still inside the tackle box and just threw the ball to about the 10 yard line from the back of the endzone to the flat with nobody within 25 yards of the area. Stephen Peoples was the player ejected with about 6 minutes left in the game. He has loads of talent, maybe even division 1 talent but can't control his anger. He way I understand the rule, the ejection is for 2 games but that includes the current game you are being ejected from. As for leaving starters in, Castlewoods coach pulled a stunt by showing up with all blue uniforms and the referees forced Galax to go into the locker room to change from all maroon home unis to all white so they deserved the beatdown they got.

Now see, to me that should be a horsecollar and would be in college or pro if he was pulled down backward by the jersey. Unfortunately, the way the high school rule is written, the hand must be in the pad, not just the jersey.

If he indeed did have the shoulder, it is not a horsecollar by the definition of the National Federation of State High School Associations. I hate the way it is written for high school.

Auburn has been doing this for years in basketball. As I understand it, the HVAC was retrofitted to that building by using a different system for heat and air but using the same piping. When turned on in the gym at the same time, it condenses and ends up on the gym floor. Huge advantage when you are prepared for it. This is also why they struggle to fill basketball schedules.

Galax won the game tonight 60-24 over Castlewood but lost one of it's top players for next week. Stephen Peoples was ejected in the 4th quarter for throwing a punch.

National Federation rules are strange at best for this rule. Very different than the college or pro rule. Basically in a nutshell, the offensive player has to fall backward, the hand must be all the way inside the pad, the act of the hand in the pad and the fall backward have to be the act that brings the ball carrier to the ground and if another defensive player assists on the tackle in any way, it negates the horsecollar. This is the most misunderstood rule you will ever see on a Friday night. Followed closely by uncatchable/pass interference. There is no uncatchable rule in high school. I hate that rule the way it is written for high school football.

I am a Tarheel through and through who is married to a Hokie alum and former Marching Virginian. I was in the stadium last night for the game. It was poorly officiated to say the least but what ACC game and/or Ron Cherry officiated game is not? It went both ways and had no bearing in the final outcome of the game.

That's what I was looking at earlier. It's that forgotten part of the state thing again. I used to work for a firm in Roanoke about 10-12 years ago and a co-worker would argue with me that Oak Hill Academy was located in the mountains of Tennessee and the highest point in Virginia was Peaks of Otter where he grew up. Sorry, rant over.

Will do. I will let you know either tonight or tomorrow morning with a link.

Speaking of this game and my belief that people on the "other side of the state" think the state stops at Radford, the Roanoke Times playoff preview for tonight's games said the winner of this game will play the winner of George Wythe/Radford next Friday night. I was under the impression that the winner of this game would face the Burton/Honaker winner and the GW/Radford winner would face the Clintwood/Chilhowie winner. Anyone have any insight?

I do live in Galax, a block away from the high school. He is a beast.

Sorry, been away for a few days. The field is located at the high school and is basically the highest point in town with the exception of the hospital. The lights leave a lot to be desired. They have probably not been replaced since the old Driver's Ed range (behind the end zone, used for parking now) was back-filled to create the football field/track in the 70's. The Driver's Ed range used to extend to about where the 25 yard line is now. As for the city itself, it is a very friendly area. If you need a local recommendation on eats, try Squealer's located on US-58 at the bottom of the hill below Wal-Mart. Best food in town.