redtiger 1,742 Report Share Posted February 21, 2011 I have never posted over here and dont really know enough about wrestling to keep up with the sport but this kind of story is one of those that appeals to all sports fans. Calep Bartee took a second to celebrate with a familiar teammate. Himself. As his opponent, Parry McCluer’s Nathan Tomlin, stepped away, the Rye Cove senior pumped his arms in front of his chest and let out a bellowing yell toward a small, but loud, contingent of Rye Cove fans after his pin with 56 seconds left in the match. Then all of Southwest Virginia’s wrestlers and wrestling fans poured out of the Salem Civic Center stands toward the mat as Bartee, the only wrestler to walk the hallways of Rye Cove High School, collapsed into his father’s arms. That’s when Bartee buried his face into his father’s shoulder, broke down and cried. “This,†Bartee said after winning his Group A 140-pound title match, “is the best thing to ever happen to me. It makes everything worth it. I finally won.†Bartee’s coach, his father, Chris, got permission from the Virginia High School League to coach Calep as the lone representative from Rye Cove. His one-man team became a traveling road show with a 30-minute, one-way drive to practice with the Powell Valley team. The work slowly began to pay off when he finished fourth in Group A in 2009, third in 2010 and worked his way back to the tournament this season. Members of the Viking squad, along with J.I. Burton and other Southwest Virginia schools, were the first ones waiting for Calep as he walked off the mat after his win. As Calep cried, he stopped to hug everyone and his plain white singlet with “The Cove†ironed on the back became the landing spot for a flurry of pats as he slowly made his way through the crowd. Chris Bartee, in a shirt and tie, began to cry as his son worked his way through the fanfare. “My baby, my state champ, I love you so,†yelled Teresa Williams, Calep’s “Mawmaw,†as she pushed her way through the human wall and wrapped him in her arms. Calep’s friend, Ryan Petelle, lifted him off the ground with a bear hug. Chris could only wipe quickly at his eyes. Still watching. “He wanted it so bad,†Chris said. “He wasn’t going to let anybody stop him. I wore out three vehicles driving him [to practice in Big Stone Gap]. This answered it all. This answered all our prayers.†As Calep Bartee stood on the podium to receive his medal and the framed 140-pound tourney bracket, members of the Powell Valley team he practiced with, his mother, father and several other fans wearing Rye Cove shirts took photos. As word spread of Bartee’s four-year struggle, the Civic Center crowd cheered when his name was announced. With a face still red from tears, he turned toward a large Strasburg and Stonewall Jackson fan section behind him and thrust his index finger into the air. Slowly, he turned toward the Rye Cove and coalfield contingent that stood in front of him, cameras ready. “It’s the best feeling you can imagine,†he said. Then he held the framed bracket over his head. Again, Southwest Virginia erupted and Bartee, with his finger now in the air, smiled back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
countryboy 11 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 this has great movie written all over it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eastboundanddown 10 Report Share Posted February 23, 2011 Sounds like Grundy next year in Single A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtiger 1,742 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 Grundy will do pretty good in A next year, they will be alot more competitive(in terms of overall title) and will fit in alot better. I am really looking forward to them being in the district, I understand why alot of Wave fans dont want to move down but I think its a good move. As far as a movie it would make a good one. If you want a local sports story to make a movie out of then Pennington Gap football '88 or '89. The last year of the school (the next year they were consolidated with several other schools to form Lee High), they finished the regular season 5-5, just making the playoffs, they then went on to win 3 playoff games as big underdogs and win state. Thats a movie waiting to happen! This is a good story too, hard work and determination will get you a long way. Not to mention what a parents dedication to their childrens interests can do for the child Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beamerball 566 Report Share Posted February 24, 2011 As far as a movie it would make a good one. If you want a local sports story to make a movie out of then Pennington Gap football '88 or '89. The last year of the school (the next year they were consolidated with several other schools to form Lee High), they finished the regular season 5-5, just making the playoffs, they then went on to win 3 playoff games as big underdogs and win state. Thats a movie waiting to happen! That was Jonesville instead of Pennington. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtiger 1,742 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2011 My bad, one of those schools down there lol. Its a great story though. I was hopeing you would chime in as you know much more about the Jonesvile story than I do(in my opnion the best sports story in SWVA history. A team from rural virginia with high emotions in their last year of existence struggles through their final season and it isint a terrible season or a great season its just average. They make the playoffs, are the underdogs and pull off an upset and then roll all the way to the state title! I would watch that movie. To me its a better story than Friday Night Lights(the book is pretty good, better than the movie) I could also could see the Bartee story as a movie, in the Rocky type of story line, a son and his father against the world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1inStripes 932 Report Share Posted March 8, 2011 Jonesville pulled off that feet by beating Appalachia @ Appalachia in the first round of the playoffs 7-6 I believe. They then got revenge over Rye Cove by winning 7-0 in a muddy mess. RC took the opening kickoff all the way to the 5 and didnt score. Jonesville scored on their first or second possession and never came close the rest of the day. RC would repeatedly moved inside the 20 and stalled on multiple possessions. Jonesville then hosted Rural Retreat in the state semis and won in OT. They then hosted Strasburg in the finals @ Bullitt Park for another OT thriller. Here is a couple of articles about that game/team: http://www.nvdaily.com/300/1988.html http://www2.tricities.com/sports/2009/sep/03/football_jonesville_bulldogs_were_ultimate_underdo-ar-241823/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redtiger 1,742 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2011 (edited) It sounds almost to incredible to be real, a really great story. The trick play by Jonesville to score to send the game to OT, the stopped 2-pt conversion to win the game, incredible. "Maybe, Jonesville was just a team of destiny" Edited March 11, 2011 by redtiger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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