Good article about Grundy is the Bristol Paper today...

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Column: Grundy's athletic program is at the crossroads

 

Thursday, Jan 17, 2008 - 12:00 AM

 

BY Bucky Dent

Sports Writer

 

 

Virginia’s smallest Group AA school would very much like to drop that title after the 2008-09 school year.

 

Grundy’s athletic program is at the crossroads of declining enrollment and tradition, yet the call to drop down to the Group A ranks isn’t as simple as it would appear.

 

Principal Leslie Horne is well-versed in the school’s history, having been a star girls basketball player in the mid-1980s who coached the Golden Wave to the AA quarterfinals about a decade ago.

 

Horne has received permission from Buchanan County Superintendent of Schools Tommy P. Justus to explore the school’s options, the first of which has already been turned down.

 

"I did write a letter to the [Virginia High School League], with Mr. Justus’ support, requesting to be placed in the [Lonesome Pine District]," Horne said in an e-mail.

 

Horne felt the LPD best served Grundy’s needs as an athletic program, but the Region D district’s principals disagreed. Horne doesn’t plan to ask the LPD for a change of heart, even though the VHSL isn’t beholden to a district’s vote or recommendation.

 

According to Horne, there are four other options. The least palatable of those would be to stay in Group AA, given recent VHSL realignment which dumped the River Ridge District into Region IV last summer.

 

Every River Ridge school has at least 265 more students than Grundy’s enrollment of 460. Pulaski County has more than three times as many students, while Blacksburg, Christiansburg and Salem are all over 1,000 students.

 

"I feel that exploring single A options would be advantageous for Grundy," Horne said.

 

But none of those Group A options include the Black Diamond District, even though geography dictates the BDD would be the best fit for Grundy.

 

None of the five BDD schools – Council, Haysi, Honaker, Hurley and Twin Valley – offer wrestling, which is Grundy’s flagship sport.

 

Shrinking numbers in the football programs at Hurley and Twin Valley are another concern. It’s not too far-fetched to wonder if one or both schools will have the sport in five years.

 

That’s why Grundy is pondering the notion of asking for membership in the new Clinch Mountain District, even though the district’s geographical base would lead to long bus rides.

 

Another possibility includes the Southwest District – Grundy’s current home – dropping to Group A with some members remaining in Group AA.

 

There is precedent for that, as the Group A Northern Neck District contains two schools (Nandua and Northampton) with enrollment well above the A-AA cutoff.

 

Horne points out that 68 percent of Grundy’s students participate in at least one VHSL-sponsored activity. She does not want to drop programs as the result of a switch to a district which doesn’t offer certain sports.

 

"Finding the correct placement for Grundy which considers geographics, enrollment and activities is proving to be a challenge," Horne said.

 

"In trying to do what is best for our student/athletes and our community, all stakeholders involved agree that we have a difficult challenge ahead."

 

bdent@bristolnews.com | (276) 669-2181