Marty Gordon
NRVsports@ourvalley.org
The Virginia High School League (VHSL) announces its 2024 all-state golf teams with several of our area golfers being honored.
In Class 4, Jake Albert and Cameron Sharpe were named to the all-star team. They were joined in Class 3 by Josh Cummins of Christiansburg; in Class 2 by Hunter Crist of Radford; and in Class 1 by Drew Royal, Alex Young and Mathew Altizer, all from Auburn.
Cross country all-state
Eastern Montgomery is well resented on this week’s Class 1 boys’ all-state team. Calvin Wilbon was joined by Spender Sisson. Max Craig of Christiansburg was honored in Class 3, while Blacksburg had four named Class 4 squad: Rivers Matthews, Asher Roach, Benjamin Bailey and Miles Wilson.
On the girls’ side of the course, Blacksburg placed three on the Class 4 team with Lola Olsen being joined by Ruthie Delapp and Eliza Conway.
Radford was represented on the Class 2 list by Cora Mosby, while Auburn added Alyson Funk and Beverly Warner in Class 1 with Eastern Montgomery’s Aija McHone.
Baseball league gives back
The Appalachian League announced that its charitable outreach totaled $3.1 million of gift-in-kind and monetary donations in 2024. The league and its clubs volunteered more than 8,500 hours of community service.
The league’s charitable footprint extends across municipalities in North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, where its 10 teams are located. Appalachian League executives, team staff and players volunteered across a spectrum of initiatives including hurricane relief, baseball clinics, hospital visits, community centers, youth centers and reading programs, epitomizing the league’s commitment to community engagement and support.
Sox, Tech broadcast
The Salem Red Sox are teaming up with the Virginia Tech School of Communication for the fifth consecutive year ahead of the 2025 baseball season to broadcast all 2025 Red Sox home games. Braden Schenck will be the voice of the Salem Red Sox ahead of Opening Day set for Friday, April 4. Games will be aired on streaming services and MiLB.com.
Braden Schenck is currently a sophomore at Virginia Tech in the Sports Media and Analytics program. A native of Darien, Connecticut, Braden comes to Salem after spending the previous two summers broadcasting in the prestigious Cape Cod Baseball League with the Falmouth Commodores and Wareham Gatemen. Currently, Braden serves as a play-by-play broadcaster for Virginia Tech baseball, basketball, lacrosse, volleyball, soccer, and softball on the ACC Network Extra. Additionally, he calls Hokies football and basketball for 3304 Sports and calls softball games on the Virginia Tech Sports Network.
Hokies ranked eighth
For the ninth straight week, and all season long, the ACC had five teams ranked in the most recent top 25 of the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll (December 23). NC State remained at No. 6 and was joined in the top 10 again by Virginia Tech at No. 8. Stanford and Pitt remained at No. 15 and 18, respectively, while North Carolina jumped up two spots to No. 23.
In the latest InterMat Individual rankings, 43 wrestlers out of the ACC were ranked in the top 33 of their respective weight classes, including five wrestlers over five different weight classes – 125, 149, 157, 174 and 184. Led by Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson ranked at No. 1 at 149 pounds, 11 ACC grapplers are ranked in the top 10 nationally, including three at 149 pounds.
LCA Back top offensive player
The Virginia High School League announces its 2024 Class 3 All-State Football Team. Liberty Christian senior running back Gideon Davidson is the Class 3 Offensive Player of the Year, and Thomas Jefferson senior defensive back Rashaud Cherry is the Class 3 Defensive Player of the Year. Kettle Run head coach Charlie Porterfield is the Class 3 Coach of the Year.
Christiansburg was snubbed on the team after placing at least one player for the past three seasons.
Ford receives diploma
Isaiah Ford had always wanted to complete his studies at Virginia Tech. After an outstanding NFL career that followed up a similar one at the Blacksburg school, he finished his degree and walked through graduation ceremonies this past month.