Browsing: Sports

by Zach Long – Virginia Tech, over the last decade or so, has been a premier Division I college football program. With that being said, premier programs need premier players, and L.C. Bird has proved to produce plenty. L.C. Bird defensive end Hakeem Beamon received his second scholarship offer Wednesday from the Hokies. Beamon broke the news on twitter. “I am blessed to say that I have received my second offer from Virginia Tech!!! #GoHokies” Being only a sophomore, Beamon’s talent and potential remained under wraps for quite some time. Then he received his first offer from North Carolina before…

Thomas Dale 18, Meadowbrook 6 By Zach Long – Thomas Dale and Meadowbrook have produced several tight, gritty games over the past few years, and this season’s meeting was no different. Thomas Dale downed Meadowbrook 18-6 Friday. High-octane freshman Chris Tyree scored on the opening kickoff for 83 yards to give Thomas Dale the early lead, but it would be halted by a vicious Meadowbrook defense for the rest of the half. Both teams missed several early scoring opportunities. Meadowbrook would score all their points in the first half. Kicker Jacob Grabham nailed two field goals early, and the Monarchs,…

When teammates are friends on and off the court, it creates excellent chemistry, and that can be the key to winning big games. The Thomas Dale boys’ volleyball team knows all about team chemistry, and that has given them the edge in a few close games, including their five-set victory against 6A foe Clover Hill. “They’re all friends on and off the court,” said Thomas Dale coach Josh Forbes. “They all fight and care for each other.” On top of the great chemistry, the team also has a lot of experience. Three seniors on the team have had starting roles…

By Zach Long Thomas Dale 42, Petersburg 12 It was a beautiful night for a homecoming football game at Ed Karpus Field, and the Thomas Dale home crowd was out in full force. In the end, Thomas Dale extinguished Petersburg 42-12 Friday. On the Knights’ first possession, five different players touched the ball. A wide-spread distribution of the ball kept the Crimson Wave defense guessing all night. The Knights would deliver a quick strike, and ended their first drive on a Matt Lawton to Gabe McCollin 19-yard score. From there, Thomas Dale would have control of the first half. AJ Lazaro…

Dinwiddie had racked up points and defensive stops on the way to an unbeaten record heading into Friday’s Central District match-up with visiting Thomas Dale. While the Generals emerged with a 28-19 victory, things didn’t look so good for the home team as the evening progressed. “I was concerned at practice [Thursday],” said Dinwiddie coach Billy Mills. “I know we have had a good run, but we hadn’t really been challenged. We had experienced a team making a run at us this year.” Thomas Dale was ready, and they capitalized on some Dinwiddie special teams mishaps early on. A shanked…

By Jamal Davis In recent years the Matoaca baseball program has developed a tradition of having a good number of its athletes continue to play at the next level. Senior James Womack is no exception. This past week Womack, a 6-2, 170-pound pitcher, committed to Randolph-Macon College, where he plans to continue his playing career. Last season for the Warriors, Womack did a little bit of everything. He was described by his coach as being a “utility” or “multi-purpose” type of player because of his ability to switch positions and still thrive while doing so. He was named second team…

By Josh Mathews Humans swim from conception. Babies are born knowing how to swim, but the skill is lost quickly after birth. It wasn’t lost that long in the case of Clark Beach and Ethan Beach. Swimming since age six has paid dividends for the Matoaca students and identical twins as they both committed to swim at the University of Florida this last week. The twins chose Florida over Alabama and Virginia Tech knowing it was their home as soon as they left the Gainesville campus after their visit. “The reason why we picked Florida is because they are a…

By Zach Long Thomas Dale 56, Colonial Heights 7 The Thomas Dale “Dark Zone” defense continues to impress in a 56-7 victory over Colonial Heights. The Knights only needed 39 snaps on offense to score 56 points, as the defense racked up three touchdowns. The Knights have scored 44 points on defense this season, more than the offenses of three teams in the area. Coach Kevin Tucker acknowledged just how important those kind of numbers are. “Give our defense all the credit in the world,” Tucker said. “We only had 39 snaps on offense tonight, and that just tells you…

There are a couple of new components in the mix for Matoaca girls’ volleyball this season, one a coach and the other a setter. The Warriors are betting that those two ingredients could be the missing ones to ensure better playoff success in 2016. Both coach Tiara Boyd and setter Makenzy Johnson have come in and made impacts early, as the Warriors have gotten off to a 6-0 start and have their eyes set on a deep postseason run, knocking off traditionally strong north-of-the-river opponents. “Coach Boyd is a new coach, and she’s always open to new ideas and new…

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