THE VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEER

 

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Buchanan County's Family Newspaper Since 1922

Thursday, March 8, 2007

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AT TOP,  Golden Wave freshman Ethan Owens, right, takes control of Chancellor's Chris Smith during the 119-pound third/fourth consolation finals Saturday afternoon at Salem Civic Center. Owens, in just his first trip to the Group AA state tournament, took a close 2-0 decision over Smith to earn third place in this weekend's tournament. Bottom photo, Groundy's 152-pounder Josh McCowan (bottom) tries to break free late in his third/fourth place consolation match with Courtland's Ray Balog Saturday afternoon. McCowan lost by fall to Balog at the 2:37 mark of the match and managed to bring home a fourth place finish. (Staff photos/Mike Stiltner.)

Wave Takes Fourth in Group AA Mat Tourney
Christiansburg Dominates; Grundy's Owens Wins Third

by Lloyd Combs
Sports Reporter
  One well-stocked team dominated, but Grundy held its own with the rest of the state at the Group AA wrestling tournament Friday and Saturday at Salem Civic Center.
  Christiansburg’s all-star roster, as expected, won a sixth straight wrestling title last weekend. The Blue Demons had eight individual champs and 14 place-winners.
  The rest of the state was fairly well-balanced and Grundy was on even terms with the other top teams.
  Six of eight Golden Wave wrestlers who qualified for state placed in the top eight overall at Salem, led by freshman Ethan Owens, who finished third at 119 pounds.
  Josh McCowan was fourth at 152 pounds, while Kaleb Smith placed fifth at 145 pounds. Senior Jerami Bartley placed sixth at 160, freshman Jon Dotson was sixth at 125 and junior Josh Lee finished eighth at 189 pounds for Grundy.
  In the team standings Grundy finished fourth with 72 points, three points out of third and 14 behind second place Tabb. Tabb, with 86 points, finished 173.5 points behind Christiansburg (259.5).
  “It was a tough tournament, but we did a whole lot better than we did last year,” Grundy coach Travis Fiser said. “I thought we would do better (Friday night), but we had some guys who wrestled back pretty tough (Saturday).”
  Things started out well. All eight Wave wrestlers won their first round matches Friday morning, including seniors Jarrett Landis at 135 and Josh Ratliff at 215 pounds.
  Grundy was just 2-for-8, however, in Friday quarterfinal action. Bartley and Dotson advanced to Saturday’s semifinals before falling into the consolation bracket.
  “Jerami answered the bell (Friday),” Fiser said. “He came to wrestle and so did Jon Dotson. We had some tough losses (in the quarterfinals). We had a lot of close matches, but you’ve got to win the close ones at   this level.”
  Owens wrestled back from a quarterfinal loss to take third place in the 119-pound weight class.
  “Ethan Owens did a good job,” said Fiser. “His first time down here and he loses one match to a defending state champ, and he wrestled him close.”

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

Bostic Takes Over Baseball Coaching Duties at Council; Inherits Young and Inexperienced Squad

At Top, MEMBERS of the Council Cobra baseball squad for the 2007 season are (kneeling), from left: Nathan Reynolds, Alex Viers, Corey Barton, att Boyd, Adam Ratliff and John Davidson; (standing), Daniel Webb, Ethan Ball, Kegan Bostic, Justin Boyd, Pat Combs, Shannon Breeding and John Breeding. (Staff photo/ Mike Stiltner.)


by Lloyd Combs
Sports Reporter
  The torch has been passed along in several sports at Council in recent years.
  Dave Rasnake, who has handled many torches and many jobs at Council High School over the years, passed along two of them recently.
  Rasnake, who just last week announced that he is stepping down as girls basketball coach, has turned the baseball reins over to former Cobra player David “Fuzz” Bostic.
  Bostic was an assistant last season under Rasnake, who did two tours of duty with the CHS baseball program.
  Bostic inherits a young and very inexperienced squad, with just four returning starters and just two other lettermen.

David "Fuzz" Bostic
Cobra's head baseball coach

  
  Junior Corey Barton, the club’s only .300 hitter a year ago (.308), is the top returning hitter. 
  Junior Kegan Bostic is the top returning pitcher from a club that won just five games last year.
  The only other returning starters are junior outfielders Ethan Ball and Shannon Breeding. 



  The losses to graduation included all-district pitcher Shane Compton and hard-hitting third baseman Daniel Lester.
  “We only have four kids back who started last year,” Bostic said. “We need all four of them to step up and produce for us this year.”
  Several of the school’s best young athletes elected not to play baseball this spring, but there is at least one promising newcomer, freshman catcher/pitcher Matt Boyd.
  Shortstop/pitcher Justin Boyd is out for the first time as a senior. 

For more of the story, see the print edition of the Mountaineer, on sale at newsstands now.  For more information on how to subscribe to the Mountaineer, call 276-935-2123 today.

                 

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