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MEMBERS OF THE Hurley
Rebel baseball squad for the 2006 season are, (from left)
kneeling: Josh Childress, Brandon Stiltner, Justin Hall and
Wesley Meadows; standing: Shane Shelton, Clint Justus, Kelly
Sykes, Robert Blankenship, Willie Burks, Josh Justus and Joey
May. (Staff photos/Mike Stiltner.)
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Rebels' Success Could Depend on
Development of Defense |
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by Lloyd Combs
Sports Reporter
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As
his baseball program rebuilds, the emphasis at Hurley, says head
coach Wayne Hall, is on a fundamental that is basic and crucial to
any team’s development: defense.
Only three of a possible six starters
return this spring for the Rebels, a team that had already lost a
number of good players to graduation in the past couple of senior
classes. The good news is all three returning regulars are juniors
on a team with just two seniors. The rest of the roster is made up
of freshmen and sophomores.
Catcher Josh Childress,
pitcher/shortstop Shane Shelton and first baseman Kelly Sykes form
the nucleus of a squad getting a late start to the regular season
and is doing all of its catching up by playing catch.
The emphasis is on
defense at Hurley, as it tries to gain ground on its more
experienced rivals in the Black Diamond District.
“This spring we’re stressing
good defense,” Hall says. “We decided not to start the season till
April because we always lose (March) games to bad weather and we
have trouble making them up.
"We’re putting our extra time
in working on defense, stressing to the boys that they’ve got to
make the play. We’re putting a lot of emphasis on making teams
earn everything they get.”
Shelton and freshman
Clint Justus will handle the pitching duties for the Rebels.
Shelton, Sykes and Childress will anchor the Hurley batting order
while the new starters develop.
“All three of my
returning starters, Josh and Shane and Kelly, are hitting the ball
real well,” Hall said.
“As far as pitching, Shane and
Clint are going to be all right.”
The rest of the lineup includes
a couple of returnees, senior right fielder Justin Hall and
sophomore second baseman Wesley Meadows. Freshman Willie Burks is
at third, where he’s backed up by senior Robert Blankenship.
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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Twin
Valley's
Lester
Named
VHSCA
Group A
Player of
Year |
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Twin Valley senior Jeremiah Lester added another award to an
already impressive resume and this one puts the 6-foot-3 forward
on the top of the heap.
Lester was named VHSCA Group A
Player of the Year by a panel of coaches representing the Virginia
High School Coaches Association and all four Group A regions.
The four-year standout
averaged a double-double with double figures in both scoring (18
points per game) and rebounds (11 rpg). He helped the Panthers
reach the state finals this past season and averaged 17 points and
15 rebounds in three state tournament games.
Twin Valley senior Kent
Goodman was a second team All-State selection. He was the only
other local athlete to earn VHSCA All-Group A honors.
One other southwest
Virginia player, Mark Dockery of Twin Springs, made the second
team. Four other area standouts were honorable mention picks: J.I.
Burton senior Lorenzo Miles; Rye Cove junior Adam Hood; George
Wythe senior Cole Wilder and Pocahontas senior Mark Little.
Four other seniors
join Lester on the First Team, including Jesse Racer of Group A
champ Clarke County.
Rounding out
the first unit are Glenvar’s Donzell Williams, Surry County’s
Edward Barham and Chatham’s Cordarrel Word.
Clarke County’s
Brent Emmart was named VHSCA Group A Coach of the Year.
VHSCA Group A All State First Team:
Donzell Willams, Glenvar
, guard, Sr.; Jeremiah Lester, Twin Valley, forward, Sr.; Edward
Barham, Surry Co., center, Sr.; Cordarrel Word, Chatham, forward,
Sr.; Jesse Racer, Clarke Co. forward, Sr.
Second Team:
Anthony
Salley, Chesterfield Comm., guard, Sr.; Mark Dockery, Twin
Springs, forward, Jr.; Brian Seymour, Northumberland, forward,
Sr.; Adam Gilbert, Parry McCluer, guard, Sr.; Kent Goodman, Twin
Valley, guard, Sr.
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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