The Shadow
Not many high schools in Virginia before or after consolidation can boast of winning state championships in both boys and girls basketball.
Clifton Forge High School which consolidated with Alleghany County High School in 1983 left behind a rich sports legacy, having gone undefeated in boys basketball in 1966 by posting a 23-0 record after defeating Thomas Walker High School 71-51 in Blacksburg to win the Group II State Championship.
Walker Banks, the 6’9” center who set a school scoring record of 49 points in one game, received an athletic scholarship to Western Kentucky State University.
The late Colin Ferguson’s team set the school record for a single-game high scoring mark by trouncing Riverheads High School 117-70, and the high-scoring Mountaineers had topped the 100 mark earlier in the season by beating Lord Botetourt High School 102-59.
After finishing the regular season with an 18-0 record, the Mounties defeated Fort Defiance in the first round of the district tournament 69-51 before winning the tournament by whipping Wilson 62-57.
In the regional tournament, CFHS defeated William Campbell 62-59 to earn a trip to the state tournament.
After disposing of Emporia in overtime 51-49, the Mounties took home the championship trophy by overcoming a seven-point deficit at halftime to outscore Thomas Walker by 27 during the second half.
The late Carol Van Lear coached the Lady Mountaineers to a state championship in girls basketball, posting a 25-1 record after defeating Page County in the championship game 61-56.
It was the second state championship team Van Lear had coached. Before arriving at CFHS, she had coached the Lancaster High School’s girls softball team to a state championship, ironically defeating the Lady Mountaineer’s softball team at LHS in the championship game.
Van Lear’s Lady Mounties, like the 1966 boys’ championship team, also broke the 100 mark in one game during their 1980 championship season by defeating Bath County High School 105-37.
Only Covington High School’s Lady Cougars managed to add a blemish to the Lady Mountaineers near-perfect record. CHS avenged an early season 68-59 defeat by beating Van Lear’s team by a convincing 76-57 score.
The Lady Mountaineers crushed New Castle in the opening round of the district tournament by an 81-44 score, edged Riverheads 52-49 and defeated Rockbridge 66-50 in the championship game.
After defeating Drewery Mason 69-51 in the first round of the regional tournament, CFHS narrowly defeated G. W. Carver 45-43. The Lady Mountaineers triumphed over the Lady Buffaloes from Floyd County High School 69-65 to advance to the state tournament.
After disposing of Garden High School 76-60 in the first round, Van Lear’s team became the first CFHS girls team to win a state championship in basketball via its five-point win over PCHS.
Tina Payne and Ann Reynolds reached career goals during the championship season, each surpassing the 1,000 career-points mark.
Had there been a state championship in football set up by the Virginia High School League when Clifton Forge High School consolidated with Jefferson High School, more than likely CFHS would have won state championships in football too.
The Gold and Green finished two consecutive undefeated seasons in football during which the Mountaineers compiled a 23-0 record.
Donnie Buzzard, a retired coach and teacher who taught and coached at CFHS, Alleghany High School and Lancaster High School too, remembers both of Van Lear’s championship teams.
Buzzard remarked, “Carol and I were both at Lancaster High School at the same time, and we were friends because we both came from Clifton Forge.”
“Coaching at Lancaster may have been her first coaching job,” Buzzard offered.
He continued, “I remember that as a women’s team coach, she wanted to be treated equal to the men’s program.”
As for coaching at Lancaster, Buzzard was the co-head track coach with Richard Krol, and he was Head Coach Krol’s assistant football coach.
Buzzard recalled, “Richard and I were at Clifton Forge High School before we left in 1977 to coach at Lancaster.
After returning to the Alleghany Highlands in 1984, Buzzard, a history teacher, coached as an assistant varsity football coach for Kenny Higgins at Alleghany High School.
He also served as the JV football coach at AHS. Before retiring in 2004, Buzzard also coached as an assistant in track under Head Coach Gary Childs and as an assistant varsity basketball coach for Head Coach Jimmy Smith.
Buzzard remembers Van Lear as a friend and as an outstanding coach, one of the few coaches in Virginia to have coached state championship teams in two different sports.
