by Lloyd Combs
Sports Reporter      
      It ain't over till it's over, Yogi Berra once said.
     For Grundy, it's finally over.
     Grundy ended a Southwest District losing streak that dated back to 2004 with a 21-16 win over Tazewell Friday night at Nelson Memorial Field.
     More importantly the victory kept the Golden Wave's playoff hopes alive and ended a four-game losing streak this season. Cody Justus and Jon Kelly played key roles, on offense and for a defense that slowed down Tazewell after a fast start and superior field position for the Bulldogs.
     Justus scored two touchdowns, one on offense and one on defense, and accumulated 162 all-purpose yards. Kelly threw for one TD and ran for another. Both Grundy juniors had interceptions.
     "I'm just glad we got the win for these kids," Grundy coach Greg Rowe said. "They deserve it."
      Grundy, which had lost two of its previous three district games by a total of six points, lost two fumbles late in the game, but Tazewell (5-5, 2-4) only scored after one of them.
      The Wave defense also made a key last-minute stand. Tazewell drove to the Grundy 22-yard line on its final possession. Kelly intercepted a fourth down pass inside his own 20 with 23.5 seconds remaining.

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.  

by Lloyd Combs
Sports Reporter       
      Hurley battled all year to get close to the top of the Black Diamond District standings.
      Friday the Rebels were painfully close.
     Honaker defeated Hurley by a single point, an extra point, 7-6, in a key BDD contest Friday night at Fuller Field at EMATS Stadium.
      For the 17th year in a row the Honaker-Haysi winner will win the BDD title. The Tigers will play the Tigers again for the district championship -- and the automatic Region D playoff berth that goes with it -- this Friday night at Haysi.
      It was a defensive struggle from the start last Friday at Honaker. The game was a scoreless tie at halftime, even though Honaker drove to the Hurley four-yard line on one series and the eight on another, before turning the ball over on downs.
      The Tigers ran out of time on a third possession at the break, with the ball at the Hurley 15-yard stripe.

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.