2020 Area Sports Year In Review Pt6

NOVEMBER 

3 – Spring Football In The CAA: The Colonial Athletic Association released its 2021 spring football schedule last week. Tyler Dressler, a Covington High School graduate and senior at the University of Richmond, will open with Spider teammates on Saturday, March 6, at home against William & Mary. The University of Delaware opens the same day at home against Maine. Bryan Stinespring, a Clifton Forge High School graduate, is in his first year as the assistant head coach and offensive line coach at Delaware.
7 – Gunner Givens Cuts Elite List To Six Schools: Gunner Givens, a junior at Lord Botetourt High School, has cut his list of college choices to six. Givens, who played his freshman football season at Covington High School, narrowed his choices to Clemson, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Penn State and Ohio State.
10 – Boys Home Harvest Hustle: Boys Home hosted their Harvest Hustle half-marathon, 10K and 5K races Saturday on the Jackson River Scenic Trail. Clifton Forge’s Erik Honaker won the men’s 5K race.
17 – A Limit Of 25 ‘Fans’ In Gymnasiums This Winter: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam reduced the limit for in-person gatherings from 250 to 25 on Friday, further limiting spectators at sporting events. The 25-person limit applies to spectators and not participants at events, said the Virginia High School League. The VHSL later clarified that according to the governor’s office, cheerleaders were considered spectators.
19 – Bath County Basketball Put On Hold: Bath County Public Schools are going all virtual November 30. As a result, both the boys basketball and girls basketball seasons at BCHS have been delayed. A target date to return to the hybrid model is the week of January 18.
21 – Angle To Run At Concord: Covington senior Austin Angle has committed to run track at Concord University. Angle is a two-time state qualifier in indoor track and a three-timer in outdoors, including a third place state finish in the 4 x 100 meter relay with Brady Groves, Marvin Harvey and K.J. Moore in his freshman outdoor season.
24 – No Basketball Season At Boys Home This Winter: Boys Home coach Mike Nunnally confirmed late last week that Boys Home has canceled their 2020-2021 basketball season.

DECEMBER

1 – Richard McElwee: Coach, Mentor, Friend: Richard McElwee, a former athlete and coach at Bath County High School and currently the athletic director at Glenvar High School, died Saturday at LewisGale Medical Center in Salem after a lengthy battle with cancer.
3 – Boys Home Teams Up With Lex Running Shop: Since 2018, Lex Running Shop (in Lexington) has sponsored the annual Boys Home Harvest Hustle. This year, Boys Home was able to give back by donating unused race medals through a partnership with the organization Medals4Mettle. Race medals are collected, given a new lanyard and awarded to children and adults for the mettle and courage they demonstrate battling cancer, chronic illness, trauma and other life challenges.
10 – Mountaineer Boys, Girls Begin Basketball Practice: Both the Alleghany boys and girls basketball teams began practice on Monday.
10 – AHS Basketball Games Delayed For Two Weeks: Alleghany athletic director Jared Brown confirmed Tuesday that the first two weeks of both the Mountaineer boys and girls basketball schedules have been postponed and pushed back into January.
12 – Cougars Begin Basketball Practice In Virtual Format: The Covington boys and girls basketball teams have began practice, but both are conducting their sessions virtually. 
12 – Alleghany Moves To All Virtual; Sports Postponed: Alleghany County Public Schools announced Friday the change to an all-virtual learning format beginning Monday. The virtual learning is scheduled through January 4. All athletic practices and events are postponed during that time.
15 – Pioneer District Delays Start: The Pioneer District has pushed back the start of its winter sports seasons. Covington High School athletic director Charity Hale said Monday afternoon that the district postponed the start of basketball and wrestling seasons until Monday, January 4, at a meeting earlier in the day.
17 – The Third Team On The Court — The Referees: Jerry Spangler, the commissioner of the Western Virginia Basketball Officials Association which serves Bath County, Covington and Alleghany high schools as well as Clifton Middle School, says that officials are faced with their own challenges due to COVID-19.
19 – TRD Tips Off Monday: Radford will face off with Giles on Monday in both boys and girls Three Rivers District basketball, and two nights later on Wednesday, Giles will take on Floyd County in the start of the Virginia High School League championships +1 shortened seasons for the 2020-2021 school year.
31 – Botetourt County To Start Winter Sports Monday: Botetourt County Public School Superintendent Jonathan D. Russ issued a press release Thursday, pulling out of a late-November agreement with six other regional school divisions that spelled out criteria that the division would use to decide if practices, games and competitions could be held. Lord Botetourt and James River high schools will start their winter seasons next week.
31 – W.Va. Pushes Winter Sports Back To March 1: Winter high school sports in the state of West Virginia have been delayed a second time. Governor Jim Justice said Wednesday that the new start date for the winter seasons — basketball and wrestling — will be March 1.